Learning to Love
by HelloIamGracie
Summary: The story of Katniss & Gale falling in love. This story takes place one year before the first book starts. Join Katniss, Gale, and their families as they watch the 73rd annual Hunger Games unfold. Will District 12 finally have another victor after all these years? Please read & review. 1 of 4 stories in the saga.
1. Chapter 1

**Katniss**  
I wake up around dawn. I realize something's not quite right, so I reach over to the side of the bed that Prim shares with me and that's what I realize was wrong. She's not there. The first rays of sun are shining through the window, not enough to wake up a normal person, and it would be hard for a person who has not had years of hunting experience to see as well as I do. I look to the other side of the room to see Prim curled up with our mother. She must have had bad dreams, because today is the day of the reaping. Though Prim is still not eligible, being only 11, but I am, and she worries for me. But for Prim I am thankful for the world's ugliest cat is sitting at my sister's knees guarding her. He is so ugly he probably could scare anything away. He has a mashed-in nose, half of one ear missing, and eyes the color of rotting squash. But Prim named him Buttercup, insisting that his muddy yellow coat matched the color of the bright flower. He hates me, or at the very least distrusts me. I think he remembers that when Prim brought him home I tried to drown him in a bucket. A scrawny kitten, with a swollen belly full of worms, and completely crawling with fleas. And the last thing I needed at the time was another mouth to feed. But Prim begged so hard, and even cried, so I had to let him stay. There's no saying 'no' to Prim. It's turned out okay, my mother got rid of the vermin and he's a born mouser. He even catches the occasional rat. Sometimes, when I clean a kill and he's around I feed him the entrails. He has stopped hissing at me. That's as far as our relationship goes. Entrails and no hissing. But Prim loves him so it's kind of worth having him around.

I decide now is as good a time as ever to get up for the day. I get up off the bed and pull on some pants and my hunting boots. They are soft and flexible after years of wear. I pull on a shirt, braid back my long black hair, and tuck it up into my cap, and grab my forage bag. Then I see on the table, under a wooden bowl to protect it from hungry rats and cats alike, a perfect little piece of goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves. It's Prim's gift to me on reaping day. Carefully, I put the cheese into my pocket before I head outside.

In the unpaved streets of our part of District 12, which is nicknamed the Seam, are usually full of coal miners heading to their morning shift at this hour. Men and women who have worked in the mines for years, with their hunched shoulders, swollen knuckles, and many who have long since stopped trying to scrub the coal dust out of their broken nails, and sometimes the lines in their sunken faces. But today the black cinder streets are empty. Shutters on the tiny gray houses of the Seam are closed. The reaping isn't until two. And you may as well sleep in if you can.

Our house is almost at the edge of the Seam. I only have to pass a couple gates to get to the scruffy field we call the Meadow. And separating the Meadow from the woods, and in fact enclosing all of District 12, is a high chain-link fence topped with barbed-wire loops. The fence is supposed to be electrified twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week as a deterrent to the predators that live in the woods. The packs of wild dogs, lone cougars, bears, that used to threaten out streets. But lucky for me, we're lucky to only get two or three hours of electricity in the evenings, so the fence is usually safe to touch. Even so, those of us who venture out into the woods know to be safe rather than sorry, we always take a minute to listen carefully for the hum that means the fence is alive with electricity. Right now it's about as loud as a rock. So I carefully go over to a clump of bushes that conceals a two-foot stretch that's been loose for years. I have to flatten out on my belly to slide under it, but it's the closest and easiest way to get from my house to the woods. There are several other weak spots in the fence, but I almost always enter here.

As soon as I'm through the first bit of trees, I retrieve my bow and sheath of arrows from a hollow log. Electrified or not, the fence has been successful at keeping flesh-eating predators out of District 12. Inside the woods, is a different story, here they roam freely, it is their right after all it's their woods, oh, no, wait, it's the _Capitol's Land_. Pathetic. But besides from the wild dogs, and bears, there's the added concerns like venomous snakes, rabid animals and no real paths to follow. But there's also food if you know how to find it, and my father taught me some before he was blown to bits in a mine explosion. There wasn't even anything left to bury. I was eleven then. Even now, four years later, I still have nightmares where I wake up screaming and telling him to run.

Even though trespassing in the woods is illegal and poaching carries the severest of penalties, I think more people would risk it if they had weapons. But most are not bold enough just to come out here with only a knife. My bow is a rarity, crafted by my father along with a few others I keep well hidden in the woods, carefully wrapped in waterproof covers. My father would have made good money selling them, but if the officials found out he would have been publicly executed for inciting a rebellion, yeah, because trying to help people get fresh food is rebellious. But most of the Peacekeepers here turn a blind eye to the few of us who do hunt because they're as hungry for fresh meat as we all are. In fact, they're some of our best customers. But the idea that someone might be arming the Seam would never have been allowed.

In the fall, a few brave souls sneak into the woods to collect apples. But always, always, in the sight of the Meadow. Always close enough to run back to the safety of our District if trouble arises. "District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety," I mutter. Then quickly glance over my shoulder to make sure nobody heard me. Even here, even in the middle of nowhere, you still worry that someone might overhear you.

When I was younger, I would scare my mother to death, with the things I would blurt out about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the far-off city called the Capitol. I eventually learned that doing this would only lead us to more trouble. So I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts. I do my work quietly in school, make only polite small talk in the public market. Discuss little more than trades in the Hob, which is the black market where I make most of my money. Even at home, where I am less pleasant, I avoid discussing tricky topics. Like the reaping, or food shortages, or the Hunger Games. Prim might begin to repeat what I say and then where would we be?

In the woods waits the only person with whom I can be myself. Gale. I can already feel the muscles in my face relaxing, my pace picks up as I climb the hills to our place, a rock ledge overlooking a valley. A thicket of blackberry bushes protect it and us from unwanted eyes. The sight of him waiting there brings on a smile. Gale says I never smile except in the woods.

"Hey, Catnip," Gale says. My real name is Katniss, but when I first told him, I was just twelve and had barely whispered it. So he thought I'd said Catnip. And then when this crazy lynx started following me around the woods looking for handouts, it became his official nickname for me. I finally had to kill the lynx because he scared off game. I almost regretted it, because he wasn't bad company. But I got a decent price for his pelt.

"Look what I shot." Gale holds up a loaf of bread with an arrow stuck in it, and I laugh. It's real bakery bread, not the flat, dense loaves we make from our grain rations. I take it in my hands, pull out the arrow, and hold the puncture in the crust to my nose, inhaling the fragrance that makes my mouth flood with saliva. Fine bread like this is for special occasions.

"Mm, still warm," I say. He must have been at the bakery at the crack of dawn to trade for it. "What did it cost you?"

"Just a squirrel. Think the old man was feeling sentimental this morning," says Gale. "Even wished me luck."

"Well, we all feel a little closer today, don't we?" I say, not even bothering to roll my eyes. "Prim left us cheese." I pull it out.

His expression brightens at the treat. "Thank you, Prim. We'll have a real feast." Suddenly he falls into a Capitol accent as he mimics Effie Trinket, the maniacally upbeat woman who arrives once a year to read out the names at the reaping. "I almost forgot! Happy Hunger Games!" He plucks a few blackberries from the bushes around us. "And may the odds-" He tosses a berry in a high arc toward me.

I catch it in my mouth and break the delicate skin with my teeth. The sweet tartness explodes across my tongue. "- be _ever_ in your favor!" I finish with equal verve. We have to joke about it because the alternative is to be scared out of your wits. Besides the Capitol accent is so strange, almost anything sounds funny in it.

I watch as Gale pulls out his knife and slices the bread. He could be my brother. Straight black hair, olive skin, we even have the same gray eyes. But we're not related, at least not closely. Most of the families who work the mines resemble one another this way.

That's why my mother and Prim, with their light hair and blue eyes, always look out of place. They are. My mother's parents were part of the small merchant class that caters to officials, Peacekeepers, and the occasional Seam customer. They ran an apothecary shop in the nicer part of District 12. Since almost no one can afford doctors, apothecaries are our healers. My father got to know my mother because on his hunts he would sometimes collect medicinal herbs and sell them to her shop to be brewed into remedies. She must have really loved him to leave her home for the Seam. I try to remember that when all I can see is the woman who sat by, blank and unreachable, while her children turned to skin and bones. I try to forgive her for my father's sake. But to be honest, I'm not the forgiving type.

**Gale**  
I spread the slices of with Prim's wonderfully soft goat cheese and put a basil leave on top for each of us, while Katniss strips the bushes of their berries. Then we settle back in a nook in the rocks. Katniss looks happy, she smiles, and I think I'm the only one who truly sees her smile. I know that she smiles at Prim, but I think that's mostly for Prim's sake. When we're out in the woods she can smile so brightly it can rival the sun. I look at her and can't stop myself from thinking how beautiful she is, and how clueless she is. Can't she see the way that so many of the boys look at her? Not even just the Seam boys, the Townies too. Not many people can cross that boundary, sure, I know a couple Town girls look at me like that too, but I ignore them. I know what they want, and that's the difference between Katniss and I, she doesn't know that the boys look at her like they want her, which makes me mad to no end. No, not at her, of course, at them. They don't know her.

I know for a fact she doesn't really talk to anyone in school. I do know she sits with the Mayor's daughter, Madge, and they talk sometimes. But not like other girls do, and I think that's why Katniss doesn't mind being friends with her. No mindless girl chatter. I'll admit that I've done my fair share of fooling around with girls, but I've stopped doing it. I thought that I had only thought of Katniss as my hunting partner and best friend, well up until about six months ago. We had brought our haul to the Hob for trading and got a decent bunch of stuff, but like most times we ended our visit to the Hob with a stop at Greasy Sae's. We trade with her well, because she's the only person you can count on in winter to have something hot, even though sometimes you don't want to know what the something in the broth is. This particular time Darius the Peacekeeper was there, and as far as Peacekeepers go, Darius is a good guy, but then he started flirting with Katniss, not that she knew that was what he was doing. Darius was teasing her about trading a rabbit for one of his kisses, and that's when I realized that I minded that he talked to her like that, talking about kissing her. Even if he was just joking.

And when I think of Katniss I smile. A real smile. I might smile a little bit easier than Katniss does but the ones I give my family can sometimes be forced or faked. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, and I'd do anything for them, but in the woods with Katniss I really get to be myself. She is so patient with me when I go off on my Capitol rants, even though both she and I know I'm scaring away the game. But I know she doesn't want me to say those things in town, if the wrong person heard I could get in huge trouble. She is truly the only person I can be 100 percent myself around, well right now maybe only 80 percent because I haven't told her how I truly feel about her yet. I plan on doing it tonight, after the reaping, after our families have dinner together, it has been a tradition of sorts for a few years now. I hope that she feels the same way about me.

**Katniss**  
From the nook in the rocks we're invisible but we have a clear view of the valley, which is teeming with summer life, greens to gather, roots to dig, fish iridescent in the sunlight. The day is glorious, with a blue sky and soft breeze. The food's wonderful, with the cheese seeping into the warm bread and the berries bursting in our mouths. Everything would be perfect if this really was a holiday, if all the day off meant was roaming the mountains with Gale, hunting for tonight's supper. But instead we have to be standing in the square at two o'clock waiting for the names to be called out.

"So, what do you want to do first?" I ask. "Hunt, fish, or gather?"

"Let's fish at the lake. We can leave our poles and rather in the woods. Get something nice for tonight," he says.

Tonight. After the reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate. And a lot of people do, out of relief that their children have been spared for another year. But at least two families will pull their shutters, lock their doors, and try to figure out how they will survive the painful weeks to come.

Gale and I make out well. The predators ignore us on a day when easier, tastier prey abounds. By late morning, we have a dozen fish, a bag of greens and, best of all, a gallon of strawberries. I found the patch a few years ago, but Gale had the idea to string mesh nets around it to keep out the animals.

On the way home, we swing by the Hob, the black market that operates in an abandoned warehouse that once held coal. When they came up with a more efficient system that transported the coal directly from the mines to the trains, the Hob gradually took over the space. Most businesses are closed by this time on reaping day, but the black market's still fairly busy. We easily trade six of the fish for good bread, the other two for salt. Greasy Sae, the bony old woman who sells bowls of hot soup from a large kettle, takes half the greens off our hands in exchange for a couple chunks of paraffin. We might do a tad better elsewhere, but we make an effort to keep on good terms with Greasy Sae. She's the only one who can consistently be counted on to buy wild dog. We don't hunt them on purpose, but if you're attacked and you take out a dog or two, well, meat is meat. "Once it's in the soup, I'll call it beef," Greasy Sae says with a wink. No one in the Seam would turn up their nose at a good leg of wild dog, but the Peacekeepers who come to the Hob can afford to be a little choosier.

When we finish our business at the market, we go to the back door of the mayor's house to sell half the strawberries, knowing he has a particular fondness for them and can afford our price. The mayor's daughter, Madge, opens the door. She's in my year at school. Being the mayor's daughter, you'd expect her to be a snob, but she's all right. She just keeps to herself. Like me. Since neither of us really has a group or friends, we seem to end up together a lot at school. Eating lunch, sitting next to each other at assemblies, partnering for sports activities. We rarely talk, which suits both us just fine.

**Gale**  
Madge opens the door, and I know she's Katniss' friend, so for Katniss' sake I try to be nice. I know what she normally wears to school because she is usually with Katniss, and, well, I'm normally looking at Katniss.

But for today her drab school outfit is replaced by an expensive white dress, and he blonde hair is done up with a pink ribbon. Reaping clothes. "Pretty dress," I say.

Madge shoots me a look, trying to see if it's a genuine compliment or if I'm just being ironic. It is a pretty dress, but she would never be wearing it ordinarily. She presses her lips together and then smiles. "Well, if I end up going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don't I?"

Now it's my turn to be confused. Does she mean it? Or is she messing with me? I'm guessing the second, and I'm not amused. "You won't be going to the Capitol," I say. Then I notice a small circular pin that's pinned onto her dress, it's real gold. Really well crafted. It could keep a family in bread for months. "What do you have? Ten entries? We all know you don't need any tessera. I had six entries when I was just twelve years old."

"That's not her fault," Katniss says.

"No," I agree. "It's no one's fault. It's just the way it is."

Madge's face has become closed off. She put the money for the strawberries in Katniss' hand. "Good luck, Katniss."

"You, too," Katniss says, as Madge closes the door.

I know that Katniss isn't happy with what I said, but it's not like it isn't true. The reaping system is unfair, with the poor getting the worst of it. You become eligible for the reaping the day you turn twelve. That year, your name is entered once. At thirteen, twice. And so on and so on until you reach the age of eighteen, the final year of eligibility, when your name goes in seven times. And that's true for every citizen in all twelve districts in the entire country of Panem.

But here's the catch. Say you are poor and starving as we were. You can opt to add your name more times in exchange for tesserae. Each tessera is worth a meager year's supply of grain and oil for one person. You may do this for each member of your family as well. So, at the age of twelve, I had my name entered six times. Once, because I had to, then tessera for my father (when he was still alive), my mother, myself, Rory, and Vick. And every year I have needed to do this. Even after my father died I still had to apply for the same amount because Posy was born. And the entries are cumulative. So now, at the age of seventeen, my name will be entered into the reaping ball fifty-one times. And Katniss, who has had to do the same, although with a smaller family, at the age of fifteen, her name will be entered into the reaping ball twenty-two times. I'm as much worried for her as I am myself.

**Katniss**  
You can see why someone like Madge, who has never been at risk of needing a tessera, can set Gale off. The chance of her name being drawn is very slim compared to those of us who live in the Seam. Not impossible, but slim. And even though the rules were set up by the Capitol, not the districts, and certainly not Madge's family, it's hard not to resent those who don't have to sign up for tesserae.

I know that Gale knows his anger at Madge is misdirected. On other days, deep in the woods, I've listened to him rant about how the tesserae are just another tool to cause misery in our district. A way to plant hatred between the starving workers of the Seam and those who can generally count on supper and thereby ensure we will never trust one another. "It's to the Capitol's advantage to have us divided among ourselves," he might say if there were no ears to hear but mine. If it wasn't reaping day. If a girl with a gold pin and no tesserae had not made what I'm sure she thought was a harmless comment.

As we walk, I glance over at Gale's face, still smoldering underneath his stony expression. His rages seem pointless to me, although I never say so. It's not that I don't agree with him. I do. But what good is yelling about the Capitol in the middle of the woods? It doesn't change anything. It doesn't make things fair. It doesn't fill our stomachs. In fact, it scares off the nearby game. I let him yell though. Better he does it in the woods than in the district. If Gale was heard in the district then he could be whipped or worse.

Gale and I divide our spoils, leaving two fish, a couple loaves of good bread, greens, a quart of strawberries, salt, paraffin, and a bit of money for each.

"See you in the square," I say.

"Wear something pretty," he says flatly.

At home, I find my mother and sister ready to go. My mother wears a fine dress from her apothecary days. And Prim is wearing a pink cotton dress, with her hair in two braids.

A tub of warm water waits for me. I scrub off the dirt and sweat from the woods and even wash my hair. To my surprise, my mother has laid out one of her own lovely dresses for me. A soft blue thing with matching shoes.

"Are you sure?" I ask. I'm trying to get past rejecting offers of help from her. For a while, I was so angry, I wouldn't allow her to do anything for me. And this is something special. Her clothes from her past are very precious to her.

"Of course. Let's put your hair up, too," she says. I let her towel-dry it and braid it up on my head. I can hardly recognize myself in the cracked mirror that leans against the wall.

"You look beautiful," Prim says in a hushed voice.

"And nothing like myself," I say. And I hug her because I know the next few hours will be terrible for her. She worries for me as I worry for her. At least she has one more year to go before she has her name entered into the reaping. "Come on, let's eat," I say and plant a quick kiss on the top of her head.

The fish and greens are already cooking in a stew, but that will be for supper. We decided to save the strawberries and bakery bread for this evening's meal, to make it special we say. Instead we drink milk from Prim's goat, Lady, and eat the rough bread made from the tessera grain, although no one has much of an appetite anyway.

**Gale**  
By quarter to one the whole family's dressed in it's finest. I really don't understand why we have to dress up for this. It's disgusting. It's a death lottery and we have to dress fancy, wonderful. I think maybe I should keep this on when I talk to Katniss later but then think better of it, I know she likes fancy clothes just as much as I do, which isn't a lot at all. The least I can say is that my mother looks pretty, not happy, because who would look happy if there was a chance that your oldest son could be reaped? Rory is really starting to look grown up, at least that's what Katniss says. I was fourteen when I met her, and she was twelve, and she said that Rory's really starting to look like I did when we met. Vick just looks uncomfortable in his dress clothes, not that I blame him. Posy seems to be the only one actually enjoying everything. Since she's only three and a half, she doesn't really have any idea what's going on, and she says she feels like a princess.

Before my father died in the same mining explosion that Katniss' father died in, my father collected really old books. Books from before the Dark Days. I don't know where he got most of them, I think my mother said that most of them were passed down through his family. And I know sometimes, if you're lucky you can find some at the Hob. But books aren't really something a lot of people are interested in. But my dad was, and he read me stories, and then read stories to me and Rory, and then me and Rory and little Vick. Unfortunately he never got to read stories to Posy, so I took up that torch. That's how she knows about princesses. I wish everyone could be as happy as her. But I did hear that ignorance was bliss. Not knowing about everyone starving, not understanding what the Hunger Games are, not knowing why everyone seems scared out of their minds right now. And now it's one o'clock.

At one o'clock most Seam residents have to start heading for the square, people who live closer can afford to wait just a little longer, but not by much. Attendance is mandatory, unless you're about to die, you have to go to the square. This evening officials will go around knocking on doors to make sure everyone went, if not, you're imprisoned.

It's really too bad that they have to hold the reaping in the square. It's one of the nicer places in District 12. The square's surrounded by shops, and on public market days, especially when the weather's good, it has a happy feel to it. I know Prim drags Katniss around on public market days, but Katniss says that the holidays are Prim's favorite time to drag her around because of the decorated cakes in the bakery window. But today, despite the bright banners hanging on the buildings, there's an air of grimness. The camera crews are perched like buzzards on rooftops only add to the overall effect.

People file in silently and sign in. The reaping is a good opportunity for the Capitol to keep tabs on the population as well. Sick bastards. Twelve - through eighteen-year-olds are herded into roped areas marked off by ages. Oldest in front, youngest in the back. Family members line up around the perimeter, holding each other's hands tightly. But there are others, too, more sick bastards, who don't have anyone they love at stake, or people who just don't care anymore, who slip in among the crowd, taking bets on the two kids whose names will be drawn. There are odds, of course, odds on ages, whether they're Seam or Merchant, if they'll break down and weep. Most refuse dealing with the racketeers but carefully, very carefully. Because these same people tend to be informers, and who hasn't broken the law? I could be shot on a daily basis for hunting, but the appetites of those in charge protect me and protect Katniss. Not everyone can claim the same.

Anyway, Katniss and I agree that if we have to choose between dying of hunger and a bullet in the head, the bullet would be much quicker.

**Katniss**  
The space gets tighter, more claustrophobic as people arrive. The square's quite large, but not enough to hold District 12's population of about eight thousand. Latecomers are directed to the adjacent streets, where they can watch the event on screens as it's televised live by the state. I find myself standing in a clump of fifteen-year-olds mostly from the Seam, but Madge is standing next to me, which I'm grateful for. If I can't stand next to my best friend, who's with all of the seventeen-year-olds, I'm glad I'm standing next to my only other friend. Everyone seems to be exchanging terse nods then we all focus our attention on to the temporary stage that is set up before the Justice Building. It hold three chairs, a podium, and two large glass balls, one for the boys and one for the girls. I stare at the paper slips in the girls' ball. Twenty-two of them have Katniss Everdeen written on them in careful handwriting.

Two of the three chairs fill with Madge's father, Mayor Undersee, who's a tall, balding man, and Effie Trinket, District 12's escort, fresh from the Capitol with her scary white grin, purple-ish hair, and teal colored suit. They murmur to each other and then look with concern at the empty seat. Haymitch's seat.

Just as the town clock strikes two, the mayor steps up to the podium and begins to read. It's the same story every year. He tells of the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called North America. He lists the disasters, the droughts, the storms, the fires, the encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land, the brutal war for what little sustenance remained. The result was Panem, a shining Capitol ringed by thirteen districts, which brought peace and prosperity to it's citizens. Then came the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Twelve were defeated, and the thirteenth obliterated. The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace and, as out yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games.

The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, called tributes, to participate. The twenty-four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold anything from a burning desert to a frozen wasteland. Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins.

Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch - this is the Capitol's way of reminding us how totally and completely we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. "Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there's nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen."

To make it humiliating as well as torturous, the Capitol requires us to treat the Hunger Games as a festivity, a sporting event pitting every district against the others. The last tribute alive receives a life of ease back home, and their district will be showered with prizes, largely consisting of food. All year, the Capitol will show the winning district gifts of grains and oil and even delicacies like sugar while the rest of us battle starvation.

"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," intones the mayor.

Then he reads the list of past District 12 victors. In seventy-three years, we have had exactly two. Only one is still alive. Haymitch Abernathy, a paunchy, middle-aged man, who at this moment appears hollering something unintelligible, staggers onto the stage, and falls into the third chair. He's drunk. Very. Like every year. Like all the time. The crowd responds with its token applause, but he's confused and tried to give Effie Trinket a big hug, which she barely manages to fend off. I smirk.

The mayor looks distressed. Since all of this is being televised, right now District 12 is the laughingstock of Panem, and he knows it. He quickly tried to pull attention back to the reaping by introducing Effie Trinket.

Bright and bubbly as ever, Effie Trinket trots to the podium and gives her signature, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odd be ever in your favor!" Her purple hair must be a wig because he curls have shifted slightly off-center since her encounter with Haymitch. She goes on a bit about what a honor it is to be here, although everyone knows she's just aching to get bumped up to a better district where they have proper victors, not drunks who molest you in front of the entire nation.

Through the crowd, I spot Gale looking back at me with a ghost of a smile. As reapings go, this one at least has a slight entertainment factor. But suddenly I am thinking of Gale and his fifty-one names in that big glass ball and how the odds are not in his favor. Not compared to a lot of the boys. And maybe he's thinking the same thing about me because his face darkens and he turns away. "But there are still thousands of slips," I wish I could whisper to him.

It's time for the drawing. Effie Trinket says as she always does, "Ladies first!" and crosses to the glass ball with the girls' names. She reaches in, digs her hand deep into the ball, and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd draws in a collective breath and then you can hear a pin drop, and I'm feeling nauseous and so desperately hoping that it's not me, that it's not me, that it's not me. And I'm holding on tightly to Madge's hand, thankfully she holds back just as tight, she really is a good friend.

Effie Trinket crosses back to the podium smooths the slip of paper, and reads out the name in a clear voice. And it's not me.

It's Beth Bailey.


	2. Chapter 2

**Gale**  
Thank god it's not Katniss. But I feel bad it was Beth Bailey. She's in my year at school. Her mother grew up in the Seam and married a Townie. She has blue eyes and black hair with fair skin. She's pretty, that can get someone sponsors. Well, not as pretty as Katniss but I might be a little biased. And Beth was always nice to everyone because she was kind of from both of District 12's worlds. It's not nice to say, but I don't think the odds are in favor of her winning.

She's walking up the stage and soon it will be time to pick a boy. I can only hope it's not me. I really need to talk to Katniss tonight. The reaping has made it that much more obvious, I could be called. Fifty-one slips have my name written on them.

Beth walks up to the stage and up to the podium, everyone in the audience can tell that she's nervous. I'll give her credit though, she's teary but she's not letting them past her eye lashes.

"Well, Beth, good luck, and may the odds be _ever_ in your favor!" Effie says to her.

The odds in her favor? I think not. Her family has enough money that she doesn't have to take tessera, well maybe once or twice when times have gotten bad, but not like most kids in the Seam. I look over at Haymitch and see he's slumped over in his chair completely passed out. I take it Effie notices too because she tries to get the attention back on herself and Beth, Beth, who is still valiantly trying not to cry.

Taking one more small, embarrassed glance back at Haymitch, who Peacekeepers are now trying to carry inside the Justice Building, Effie starts back up again. "What an exciting day!" she warbles. She hates this district, and we all know it. Whatever, it's not like we like her either. "But there's more excitement to come! It's time to choose our boy tribute!" She crosses over to the glass ball with all the boys' names in it, and grabs the first slip she gets her claws on, because she obviously wants this over with. _Please don't let it be me, I need to talk to Katniss._ And it's not me. "Peeta Mellark!"

I recognize him. He's the baker's son, or one of the baker's sons, I think the youngest. Katniss and I trade squirrels with his father. The odds really aren't in the favor of people who don't have a lot of slips, that's strange. I also know him because since I realized I was in love with Katniss I noticed more of the boys that stare at her, and he's one of them.

I size him up to see what his chances might be in the Games. He makes his way toward the stage. Medium height, stocky build, ashy blonde hair that comes over his forehead, blue eyes. Merchant class. I could see the shock registering on his face, you can tell he's trying to remain emotionless, but it's not working. His eyes show the alarm that Katniss and I often see in our prey. But he climbs steadily onto the stage and takes his place.

The mayor begins to read the long, dull Treaty of Treason as he does every year at this point - it's required - but I'm not listening to a word. I'm thinking about what I'm going to say to Katniss later. Going over everything in my head. But the thought that's running through my head the most is that, the odds are in our favor, because neither of us was reaped.

Then I looked over at Katniss and she looked a little upset, and I had to wonder what that was about. The mayor finished the Treaty of Treason, and Effie announced for the tributes to shake hands. They did. And then, in her disgustingly giddy fashion she announced, "The tributes for the Seventy-third Annual Hunger Games! Beth Bailey and Peeta Mellark!"

People started filing out of the square, everyone else got the rest of the day off. The scum bags that do the betting on who will be chosen looked put out, because both of the tributes were merchant class - ha! Less money for them. I walked over to Katniss who was still standing in the square looking at the Justice Building. "Is there something unusual with today's results, other than the fact we weren't reaped and two merchant kids were? We should be celebrating!" I told her.

She looked at me kind of sheepishly, "Could you just give me a minute I need to tell Peeta something."

I looked at her funny, what the hell would she need to say to him. It kind of made me angry, but I was not going to get angry on the day that I was going to tell her I loved her. "What do you need to tell him?"

"I kind of owe him something, I'll explain it to you later, I promise. I'll meet you and our families at your house if you don't feel like waiting for me."

"Of course I'll wait for you, then maybe you can explain what you owe him on our way back," I suggest.

She gives me a grateful smile, "That sounds perfect, see you in a few minutes." I watch her as she walks into the Justice Building. I know it must be something at least a little bit important, because we both hate that place. When our fathers were killed in the mine explosion, us, being the oldest children were given a medal. As that could bring our fathers back. I sit down on the steps at the front of the building as I wait for her.

**Katniss**

I go into the building I hate, and the elevator I hate even more. I hate cramped spaces, they remind me of the mines. I had waited about ten minutes outside hoping that I wouldn't have to wait too long for my turn to talk to Peeta. I just want to know why he did it... well maybe not that, but how thankful I am that he did. And that I'm sorry I couldn't give him anything back.

I wait outside his room, his family is in there with him now. I idly wonder if his mother even cares. She's such a witch. I feel like I'm waiting forever, but when I look at the ornate clock at the end of the hall it says I've only been waiting ten minutes in the hall. I don't want to have to make Gale wait too long for me. Then I sense someone coming down the hall, her name is Delly Cartwright, she's one of the nicest people on the planet. She even sees good in me. I try my hardest to make polite small talk waiting for my turn. After five minutes of what is torture to me, Peeta's family finally comes out. His poor father, who I truly like, Gale and I trade squirrels with him when the wench isn't around, is crying. I feel terrible. I make a note in my head for me and Gale to bring him as many squirrels as possible free of charge. His brothers both look upset, but look like they're locking their jaws trying not to cry. And as I expected the look on Peeta's mother's face is one of apathy. Honestly, you beast-woman, he's your son! I try to smile at the baker but it comes out more like a grimace.

Then a Peacekeeper turns to me and says it's my turn to go in. I turn to Delly, who I know has a crush on him thanks to the gossip I've heard from Madge, and tell her I'll only be a couple minutes. She thanks me and lowers her head to look at the floor.

I walk into the room, which is really fancy, fancier than I remember when I was here getting a medal for my dead father, but I was eleven then. Peeta was looking at the floor and he looks up when he hears me, it took him a second because I always walk on hunter's feet, he looks shocked. He obviously didn't expect me to come in here, so I automatically feel stupid, and really want to walk right back out, but know that I have to say what I came here to say because he might, and let's be honest, probably will die.

"Um, hi, Peeta. I don't know if you really know me, but I wanted to thank you before you left." I don't give him time to respond, I want to get it all out in the open, but the way his mouth is hanging open I don't think he could respond if he wanted to. "You might not remember, because it was a long time ago, when we were eleven. Well, my father had died and my mother wouldn't move, so I had to take care of my sister Prim and myself. And even though I rationed everything we had we still were starving. And in April, it was cold and raining, and I didn't know what to do because we were going to starve to death. And I remember stopping outside of the back of your house because it smelled so good and it was so warm, and your mother yelled at me, and you both went back inside. But then I heard something, and you came out with burnt bread, and your mother was yelling at you to give it to your pig, but you gave it to me instead. Well I just wanted to thank you for not letting me or my sister starve. You saved our lives, and I've never really got the chance to thank you, so... Thank you. And I hope you win, you deserve it, and I'm going to go now, Gale is waiting, and Delly really wanted to talk to you. So, thank you, and good luck."

I walked back out the door without waiting for Peeta to say anything. Honestly he probably thought I was the stupidest person in the world and didn't even remember that whole thing happening. Well, I thanked him, so I completed what I wanted to do. In the hall I give a small passing wave a Delly, who looks so sad, and it's a weird look for her, because she's always so happy. Happy to the point of being annoying, at least to me. But I can't help but feel bad for her, she must really like him. I think if someone I really liked was going into the games... and the only person I can think of is Gale. Prim isn't old enough to go into the Games until next year, Gale is the only person that I really care about going to the Games. Madge is my friend, and I would certainly be sad, but I don't think I would know how to function without Gale. These are weird thoughts to think, so I stop, besides I'm getting on the elevator and all I can think about is how much I hate it. Certainly they have stairs around this place? But I hope I never have to be in here again to find them.

I walk outside and Gale is sitting on the front stone stairs. He hears me and looks up and smiles. I smile back. "Well we can finally celebrate another year of not getting reaped!" I say happily.

"That we can," He says and picks me up hugging me and swinging me around, and I can't help but laugh. This is why Gale is my best friend.

**Gale**

Katniss' laughter is contagious. I set her down and she looks happy smiling up at me. She's a whole lot shorter than me but I think it's adorable. Yes, I just used the word 'adorable' - that's what she brings out of me. Not that I could ever call her adorable to her face, not if I want mine disfigured. And now the question of the hour. "So, what did you owe Peeta?"

She looks at me and gestures that we should start heading back to my house, we walk side-by-side as she tells me the story. "After our fathers died, you know we got the '_compensation_' for their deaths. And our mothers were supposed to find jobs, and Hazelle did, even though she had just had Posy, I envied you, I wanted Hazelle as a mother, because my mother did absolutely nothing. And when I say nothing, I mean nothing. She didn't move. Sometimes she would sit propped up in a chair, but most of the time she would lay on her bed, huddled under blankets and have her eyes fixed at nothing on the wall. Not even Prim crying could get her up.

"I was so scared, Gale," she looked up at me with sadness in her eyes. I knew she had a hard time after her father died, but I didn't really get to know her until she was checking out my snares in the woods. She's never really talked about it. She continued, "I suppose I know now that my mother was locked in some dark world of sadness after losing my father, but at the time, all I knew was that I had just lost my father and it seemed like I had lost my mother too. I was only eleven. And Prim was seven. But, I think you know me enough that I would never give up, especially never give up on helping Prim. So I took over as head of my family, there was no other choice. I made the compensation last as long as I could. Tried to spread out the money as thinly as I could while still getting by. I bought our food at the market and cooked it as best I could. I tried hard to keep Prim and myself looking presentable, because if someone found out our mother wasn't taking care of us they would have put us in the community home. And that would have broken Prim. You've seen how sad the kids from there are, haven't you?" she asked, and I nodded. I had. They acted like beaten dogs. They always had their shoulders hunched in like they were afraid, always had bruises, dead looks in their eyes, and if you moved toward them too fast they jumped, or yelped, or sometimes even screamed. I couldn't imagine Prim in their as much as Katniss could. And if Katniss had to be in there with Prim she would stay to protect her, but if she were on her own, I'd bet anything she'd escape.

"Poor, sweet, tiny Prim wouldn't have lasted a second in there. A place like that would have crushed her like a bug. Prim who cried when I cried before she even knew the reason. Who insisted on brushing and plaiting my mother's hair before we went to school, and who still polished my father's shaving mirror each night because he'd hated the layer of coal dust that settled on everything in the Seam. So I kept our predicament a secret. But it was only so long before the money started running out and we were slowly starving to death. There's no nice way to put it. I kept telling myself if we could just hold on until May, if I could just hold on until May 8th, my birthday, I'd be turning twelve and be able to sign up for tesserae and get that precious grain and oil to feed us and keep us warm. But there were still several weeks to go. We'd be dead by then.

"I don't have to tell you how many people starve," she was whispering the story to me by this point, so I had to lean down a little. And of course she didn't have to tell me how many people starve, it's one of my main rants when we're out in the woods together.

Starvation's not an uncommon fate in District 12. Who hasn't seen the victims? Older people who can't work. Children from a family with too many mouths to feed. Those who get injured in the mines. Straggling through the streets, until one day, you come upon them sitting motionless against a wall or lying in the Meadow, or you hear wails from a house and Peacekeepers are called in to retrieve the body. Starvation is never the official cause of death, though, even though it's so obvious. It's either the flu, or exposure, or pneumonia. But it doesn't fool anyone.

Katniss can see what I'm thinking and lets me think it. That's another thing I love about her, she can practically read my thoughts, just like I can hers. And we have hand movements and gestures from years of being hunting partners in the woods. Once she knows I'm done with my thought she continues, "So one day in April, the rain was falling in relentlessly icy sheets, and I had gone into town trying to trade some threadbare old baby clothes of Prim's in the public market, but there were no takers. And although I had been to the Hob several times with my father, when I thought about it then it seemed scary and gritty and dirty without my father's protection. The rain was so bad that it had soaked through my father's hunting jacket leaving me chilled to the bone. And for three whole days, we'd had nothing but boiled water with some dried mint leaves I'd found in one of the back cupboards. By the time the market closed, I was shaking so hard that I dropped my bundle of baby clothes in a puddle of mud. But I didn't pick them up because I was afraid that I would keel over and be unable to get back up to my feet. Besides no one wanted those baby clothes.

"I couldn't go home. Because at home was my mother with her dead eyes and my sweet little sister, with hollow cheeks and cracked lips. I couldn't walk into that room with the smoky fire from the damp branches I had scavenged at the edge of the woods after the coal had run out, I couldn't go home with my hands empty of any hope."

She paused for a second and I knew how hard this was for her to tell me. Yes, we tell each other everything, but somethings we were allowed to keep to ourselves, and I know how badly Katniss feels when she looks weak. But I wouldn't and couldn't think of Katniss as weak in this story she was telling me, she was so strong. Never giving up. But since I knew this was so hard for her I took her hands in mine and we stepped into her house which we had just passed on the way to my house, and I brought her to sit her down. She smiled weakly at me. I sat with her holding her hands waiting for her to continue her story. It took her a couple minutes and she wouldn't look me in the eye, I could tell she was ashamed, even though she shouldn't have been at all.

"I eventually found myself stumbling along a muddy lane, you know the one behind the shops that serve the wealthy townspeople? The merchants live above their businesses, so I was essentially in these peoples' backyards. I remember the outline of garden beds not yet planted for spring, a goat or two in a pen, one sodden dog tied to a post hunched and defeated in the muck like I was.

"Since all forms of stealing are punishable by death," she looked up at me with a smile, that was the first thing I ever said to her. "I started thinking and it crossed my mind that there might be something in the trash bins, and those were fair game. Perhaps a bone at the butcher's or rotted vegetables at the grocer's, something no one but my family was desperate enough to eat. Unfortunately, the bins had just been emptied.

"But when I passed the baker's, the smell of fresh bread was so overwhelming I felt dizzy. And the ovens were in the back, and a golden glow spilled out the open kitchen door. I stood there mesmerized by the heat and the luscious scent until the rain interfered, running icy water down my back, forcing me back to life. So I went over and lifted the lid to the baker's trash bin and found it spotlessly, hopelessly bare.

"And then suddenly a voice was screaming at me and I looked up to see the baker's witch - I mean - wife."

"No, you don't mean witch, you mean bitch," I laughed with her. "He's really nice I wonder how he ended up with a demon like her?"

She laughed, "I don't know, but anyway, she was screaming at me, telling me to move on and did I want her to call the Peacekeepers and how sick she was of having those brats from the Seam pawing through her trash."

My jaw was clenched, how dare that woman say that to Katniss, an eleven-year-old starving child. I wish she was in the Hunger Games instead of her son, even though I don't like the looks Peeta gives Katniss. I was listening to Katniss at the same time these thoughts were going though my head.

"The words were ugly and I had no defense. So I carefully put the trash lid back on the bin and backed away. That's when I noticed him, a boy with blonde hair peering out from behind his mother's back. I'd seen him at school, he was in my year, but I didn't know his name. He stuck with the town kids, so how would I know his name? His mother went back into the bakery, grumbling, but he must have been watching me as I made my way behind the pen that held their pig and leaned against the far side of an old apple tree. The realization that I'd have nothing to take home had finally sunk in. My knees buckled and I slid down the tree trunk to its roots. It was too much. I was sick and weak and tired, oh, so tired. _Let them call the Peacekeepers and take us to the community home_, I thought. _Or better yet, let me die right here in the rain_.

"Then there was a clatter inside the bakery and I heard the woman screaming again and the sound of a blow, and I vaguely wondered what was going on. Then I heard feet slosh toward me in the mud and I thought, It's her. _She's coming to drive me away with a stick_. Only it wasn't her. It was the boy, and in his arms he had two large loaves of bread that must have fallen into the fire because the crusts were scorched black.

"His mother was yelling, 'Feed it to the pig, you stupid creature! Why not? No one decent will buy brunt bread!'

"He began to tear off chunks from the burned parts of the bread and toss them into the trough, and then the front bakery bell rung and his mother disappeared to help a customer.

"The boy never even glanced my way, but I was watching him. Because of the bread, because of the red welt that stood out on his cheekbone. I thought what had she hit him with? My parents never hit us. I couldn't even imagine it. The boy took one look back to the bakery as if checking that the coast was clear, then his attention back on the pig, he threw a loaf of bread in my direction. The second one quickly followed, and he sloshed back to the bakery, closing the kitchen door tightly behind him.

"I stared at the bread in disbelief. They were fine, perfect really, except for the burned areas. And I wondered, did he mean for me to have them? And thought, he must have, because they were right at my feet. Before anyone could witness what had happened I stuffed the loaves up my shirt and wrapped the hunting jacket tightly around me, and walked away. The heat of the bread burned into my skin, but I clutched it tighter, clinging to life.

"By the time I reached home, the loaves had cooled somewhat, but the insides were still warm. When I dropped them on the table, Prim's hands reached to tear off a chunk, but I made her sit, and I forced our mother to join us at the table, and poured warm tea. I scraped off the black stuff and sliced the bread. We ate an entire loaf, slice by slice. It was good hearty bread, filled with raisins and nuts.

"I put my clothes to dry by the fire, crawled into bed, and fell into the first dreamless sleep I had in a long time. It didn't occur to me until the next morning that the boy might have purposely burned the bread. He might have dropped the loaves into the flames, knowing it meant being punished, and then delivered them to me. But then I dismissed it, it must have been an accident, a happy accident for me and my family. Because why else would he have done it? He didn't even know me.

"We ate slices of bread for breakfast and headed to school the next day. It was as if spring had come overnight. The air was warm and sweet, there were fluffy clouds in the sky. At school, I passed the boy in the hall, his cheek had swelled up and his eye had blackened. He was with his friends and didn't acknowledge me in any way. But when I collected Prim and started for home that afternoon, I found him staring at me from across the school yard. Our eyes met for only a second then he turned his head away. And I dropped my head embarrassed, and that's when I saw it. The first dandelion of the year. A bell went off in my head. I thought of the hours spent in the woods with my father and I knew how we were going to survive.

"Peeta had given me hope with two loaves of bread, he saved mine and Prim's lives, and I never got to thank him, and you know how I hate owing people, that's what I wanted to talk to him about. I don't think he remembered anything about it though because he just stared at me slack-jawed.

"But then, when I met you in the woods I felt safe for the first time since my father had died. And I knew that my family would be okay. Well I didn't really care about my mother, but me and Prim would be good. And I knew you would be good too."

I looked at Katniss for a good two minutes when she was finished her story before I realized I was making her feel uncomfortable which was the last thing I wanted to do. "Katniss, you have no reason to be embarrassed for anything that happened to you and your sister during that time. If anything you should be proud, you kept you and Prim alive. And I know that bread was probably really good, but I'd bet ya' a deer that you would have found that dandelion in the school yard the next day anyway. It's your mother's fault for not taking care of you two, and I know that I can say that without you getting mad because it's what you believe too, and it's true. I wish I would have known you better back then, we could have gone in the woods a whole lot sooner and come back with a whole lot more stuff. And just for you information, I'm sure Peeta remembered you when you went to talk to him. I'm sure he remembers the bread. Because he likes you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Katniss**  
"No, way, no he doesn't! First off, no one likes me, I'm not a nice person, secondly if he liked me he would have taken the time to say at least one word to me. We were in the same year in school our whole lives!" I can't believe how delusional Gale is being right now!

"Katniss, lots of guys like you, you have no idea because you're not interested in them. Do you think I like to hear them talk about you that way? It makes me want to punch them in the face. I've actually punched a couple guys in the face that say they've been with you, like I wouldn't know the truth."

Gale stood up for my honor? Will I guess that makes sense I would stand up for him too if someone was talking shit about him or his family. Guys actually think about me that way? Will that doesn't make sense to me. What is going on with the world?

"And just so you know, Katniss, I think you're a wonderful person, and I talk to you all the time. Just saying." Gale half-smiled at my shocked face. "Celebration dinner's probably ready at my house, you can change into something more comfortable if you want, I'll wait outside." Gale stood up, smiled at me with some emotion I couldn't name in his eye and walked out the door shutting it so I could change into something more comfortable like he knew I would want to.

It only takes me a couple minutes to change back into what I was wearing this morning before the reaping. I leave my hair the way my mother put it up, because although I'm not one to fuss over looks, I think it looks nice and it's something different. I feel like something different's in the air. As weird as that sounds.

When I walk out of my front door he's waiting for me. We walk side-by-side in companionable silence to his house. When we get there we find a surprise. We aren't surprised by the fish and greens stew along with the bakery, (I need to mention the squirrel thing to Gale), bread and strawberries, but it looks like Gale's brother Rory is trying to one-up us. Apparently once we were done in the woods and were heading to the Hob, Rory found one of my child-size bows. Don't ask me how he found it, I haven't used it in two years in favor of a bigger one of my father's, Rory must be sneaking around the woods, even when we're in it which is a surprise by itself because he would have to be crazy quiet to not get an arrow in the chest. So with the child-size bow and arrows he found, he was lucky and found a wild turkey and shot it in the neck. Mine and Gale's lessons have been paying off. He somehow re-hid the bow and arrows and scurried back to his house before Gale got back and conspired with Hazelle to make the turkey. This is a very special supper indeed.

The Hawthorne's have a square table, its a lot bigger than the one at our house but it's a little cramped with eight people at it, not that we mind. Plus Posy's tiny, and Prim and Vick are both small. So it ends up with our mother's sitting on one side, Rory and Prim on another, Vick and Posy, across from Rory and Prim and Gale and I across from our mothers. I whisper to Gale that I think Rory likes Prim. I couldn't make out what he said back but he said it with a smile.

I set down my silverware, and finish chewing a piece of turkey, which is really delicious. "I went to talk to Peeta today in the Justice Building before he left. I wanted to thank him for the bread he gave me and Prim years ago, you know, mom, when you weren't there?" I can't help but make digs at my mom and still be mad at her, especially when I'm talking about a time when she wasn't there. "When I told Gale the story he said that Peeta definitely burned the bread on purpose so he could give it to me. So, it's basically thanks to him that we didn't starve." Gale gives me a look. "Well, Gale also said I would have found the dandelion whether I had the bread or not." Gale nods. "But I saw Peeta's family coming out of his room they were all so sad -" Gale interrupts me with a look again, although I don't know how he knows. "-well, all his family but his b-i-t-c-h of a mother." Gale nods happily like he likes me talking for him. "But the worst, was Peeta's father, and we all know how nice he is. Remember, Prim and Posy when Gale and I brought you to the square and you wanted to go to the bakery and see the cakes and the baker saw you two and gave you each a cookie with a flower on it?" The two cute girls get the effect I'm looking for. "And he always gives Gale and I the better deal when we trade him squirrel for bread." Gale nods again, it seems like all he's doing. I look to Rory, "Rory, you were there with Gale and I one time too, one of the first times we took you hunting."

"Yeah, he was nice, especially for someone from town to be to someone from the Seam. But then he had to run and hide his two squirrels when his bitch wife called for him," Rory said, and Gale and I burst out laughing. The only reason I had spelled "bitch" out in the first place was because of Posy, but Prim apparently knew what Rory was going to say before he said it because she distracted Posy. It's very odd how alike Rory and Prim are like Gale and me. Except Prim couldn't kill an animal to save her life, really, she would rather live off just greens.

"Rory, language!" Hazelle scolds, but we're all just laughing, even my mother has a small smile on her face, she knows what a bitch the baker's wife is, too apparently. Well she did grow up in town, perhaps they knew each other from school, I'll think on that later.

I clear my throat. "Yes, while that word aptly describes her, let's not say it out load for Posy's sake okay?" I whisper to Rory and wink. He nods. "Anyway, it made me sad seeing how sad the nice baker is-" This time the person I'm interrupted by is totally unexpected.

"It helps if you call him by his name."

"You know his name, mom?" Prim asks.

"Yes, I used to be very good friends with him, you know. His name is Joseph. He had a crush on me, but I married your father. And his wife's name's Sheerling. She always hated me because he liked me. I'm afraid that's probably a small part of the reason she doesn't treat you guys well. Well that, and she was always a bitch."

I couldn't have asked for a better laugh, and it seems the rest of the table couldn't either. Our families are so close that every Hawthorne knows of my mother's depression, and how I still hold a grudge against it, except Posy, she's too young to know. She just think my mother's quiet. I think after that my grudge might be lessening just a little.

"Yes, finding a way to be a bitch to your child must be hard, but naming them all after bread seems to be a way to do it," Hazelle laughs.

I look toward Gale and mouth, 'Oh, my, god, what's up with our mother's?'

He just laughs and shakes his head then asks, "What are their names, ma'?"

It's my mother who replies, "Buck, which is short for Buckwheat, Farl, and Peeta."

"Well if you don't know about bread and you take away the 'wheat' from Buck then they just seem like names, lucky for them. Imagine if they were born in District 1. 'Rainbow, Sparkle, and Diamond are my boys names.' 'But, ma'am, those all seem to be like District 1 girls names.' 'Oh, no, they're my boys!'"

"Okay, okay, okay, okay! As hilarious as this conversation has been, and it has been hilarious, I want to get back to the point that I was trying to make, although it has been very nice seeing everyone so happy. And on a serious note, I was glad to see you smile, mom."

My mother gets teary, "Oh, thank you, Katniss, that means a lot coming from you." She smiles again, but even bigger.

"So what I was trying to say was seeing Peeta's family coming out of his tribute room, his father, Joseph, especially looked crushed. And he loves when Gale and I-" I see a hand wave from the side of the table, "-and Rory bring him squirrels. He likes to eat them. So, I thought since he is so sad since his son is in the Games, and he is the only parent in the household that cares about his kids, we should give him a special treat, or a special deal, at least. I mean we usually make really good trades with him, he gives us a lot for what's a little on our part. So I'm thinking we give him six squirrels for two loaves of bread. That means Gale and I hunt, get six squirrels and each family gets a loaf of good bread a day? How does that sound?" I get smiles and nods all around, even little Posy who doesn't really know what's going on. "I also think that when Peeta's in the Games we should give him some squirrels without any _asked for payment_ in return. We bring him squirrels, especially when the Games get hard, and don't ask for anything, although with how nice he is I think that he'll end us giving us at least a little something in return. Votes?" Again everyone nods their heads and say "yes".

"You're right, Katniss, it'll be good to do something nice for someone who's always so kind to us. We just have to avoid the wife, agreed?" Gale says.

I nod like a mad woman, I don't want to see that bitch, what did my mother say her name was? Sheerling? Hate her.

Now it's usually a rule for an after reaping celebratory dinner not to mention the reapings, or the Games, or the Capitol, but I felt like I need to bring up what I thought about the baker and the squirrels, so I did, and no one is mad because what I was saying something which Posy calls "nice". It was one of the best dinners our families have ever had, separate or together.

After a while of talking Vick goes to bed, and Prim says she's tired to her and my mother head home too. Rory claims he's not tired but he yawns and Hazelle sends him to bed. Now it's only Hazelle, Gale, me, and surprisingly Posy. She says that she needs Gale to give her a bedtime story before she falls asleep. Over the years I've only listened to a couple, but I decide to stay and help Hazelle clean up a little before listening in on the story. Gale said he would walk me home after.

**Gale**  
I could hear my mom and Katniss talking in the other room cleaning up.

"I'm so glad that you guys could come over, Katniss, and I think it is a wonderful idea that you had for the baker," my mom said.

"Remember, Hazelle, Joseph," she laughs. Katniss has a beautiful laugh I think. Posy's getting ready for bed and her bedtime story so I can listen to two of my favorite ladies talking. "I couldn't believe my mother tonight. It's nice, but it's also scary. That's why I've never really forgiven her for after my father died. Because I'm afraid that something might set her off and she'll be gone again. We can't all be as forgiving as Prim. I sure as hell can't be as forgiving as Prim. I would rather rely on the people I trust and who haven't let me down."

"And who's that dear?" my mom asked Katniss, a question I was wondering too.

"Well, Prim, of course, but she can't take care of me like I take care of her, she's much better with emotional stuff, though, that's for sure. She couldn't hunt meals like I can. But she could heal me if I got hurt. And I hope you don't mind, but I rely on your whole family a lot. You are all like my family. I envy you, Hazelle, you're a wonderful mother and you do what needs doing. I was telling Gale in more detail today about what happened after my father died. And how my mom would just lie in bed and stare at nothing. I had to take care of Prim, and we almost starved to death, and Prim who was seven and hadn't given up on my mother took care of her, washing her, doing her hair, stuff my mother should have been able to do herself!" Katniss said heatedly. "I'm sorry, Hazelle, I still have issues with her."

"Well," my mother says, "with all that has happen I can't say I blame you. Though I still treasure your mother as a friend and admire her healing work."

"Her healing work is amazing. I only wish she would have healed herself sooner. It took me going in the woods by myself at eleven and bringing home a rabbit to get her up, she skinned and gutted it, started a stew, and then started going back to bed. Eh. Anyway, I admire you, and I love your family. Rory and Vick are like the little brothers I've never had, and Posy, will, she's one in a million, just like Prim. And I trust my friend Madge. But I trust someone more than everyone else combined, excluding Prim maybe. Maybe I trust them the same but for different reasons." Is Katniss saying what I think she's saying?

"And who is this other person?" my mom asks and looks at Katniss coyly.

"Honestly, Hazelle, do you not know? I'll give you a clue: who's your eldest son?" Oh, my, god, Katniss trusts me the most in the world with Prim. My heart feels like it's in my throat. I knew tonight would be the perfect night to tell her.

"Oh," my mother says pretend-acting surprised. "Do you mean Gale?"

"Yes, Hazelle, I mean Gale. Do you have any other eldest sons? He means so much to me, I don't know what I would do without him."

"You do know that Gale feels the same way for you, right, Katniss? You seem to be all he talks about."_ Ma'_.

"You must be exaggerating. He's one of the best looking boys in school, all the girls want him. That's one of the reasons they don't want to be friends with me, they're jealous, even though we aren't dating."

"What's the other reason you're not friends with other girls?"

She laughs loudly, "Because I can't stand them! All they talk about are boys, and what they do with boys, and somethings shouldn't be announced to the whole school. And they care about looking good, they could care less about the people who are starving in our district. But, of course, that's mostly Merchant girls. Though a whole lot of Seam girls are like that too, only the really, really, to-the-point-of-starving girls aren't like that. Well, them, Madge and me." She laughs again. " And today Gale said that a lot of boys like me, which I don't really believe, of course, but that would make sense that less girls like me, because they are irrational, jealous creatures, for no reason. I have no interest in any of their boys."

"But you do have interest in a boy?"

"Oh, Hazelle, you trickster! You put me in a corner didn't you. But of course I care about Gale. He's my best friend, and hunting partner, the only person I can really be myself around without him hating me. And I told you I care about him, and trust him. I'd trust him with my life, and I'd hope he'd say the same about me, because I _did_ save him from that bear last spring."

I feel a tugging on my pant leg, and looking down it's my sweet, little Posy.

"I'm ready for my bedtime story now, Gale!"

"Well that's good because I have one ready for you. It's about a princess, and a prince, and all kinds of adventures." I already have some of it planned in my mind. I look over to the other side of the room and see Rory and Vick sleeping, Rory's snoring slightly and it makes me smile. I pick up Posy and put her down on her bed and tuck her in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Katniss**

"Oh, Hazelle, you trickster! You put me in a corner didn't you. But of course I care about Gale. He's my best friend, and hunting partner, the only person I can really be myself around without him hating me. And I told you I care about him, and trust him. I'd trust him with my life, and I'd hope he'd say the same about me, because I _did_ save him from that bear last spring."

She laughed, "Oh, yes, he did tell us about that. He was equal parts proud of you and embarrassed for himself."

I laugh. I love talking to Hazelle, it's so easy. I wasn't lying when I told Gale that I wish Hazelle was my mother. "Well, Hazelle, I'm done drying, do you mind if I spy in on Gale's bedtime story for Posy?"

She smirks at me like she knows something I don't. Actually she probably knows lots of things I don't, but the smirk says it's something specific. "Go ahead. Just stay quiet in the doorway though if you don't want the story to change." Then she winks at me and goes back to tidying up things.

Well, that was cryptic. But I follow her advice, the smirk tells me I should. When I peek in through the doorway Gale's tucking Posy in all the way around, just like my father used to do for me. I smile. And then I listen.

**Gale**

Posy looks so cute looking up at me. I have been coming up with this story for a while now, I hope I make it good enough that she won't ask for another story. Because I can't wait to talk to Katniss.

"Once upon a time, in a beautiful, magical Kingdom called the Seam -"

"But the Seam's filled with coal dust and it isn't a Kingdom."

"Well, in my story it is, in fact, in my story you are going to hear a lot of names you know but they are going to be different things. You have to use your imagination, understand?" Posy nods seriously, apparently trying to get her imagination ready. "Now, in the Seam Kingdom, there was a Prince and there were three beautiful Princesses, of all different ages. And they were all very beautiful but people called them different kinds of beauty to match them, for they all had very different personalities. The King and Queen had a beautiful garden, people from all across the land would come to gaze at all the beautiful flowers and smell them. So when the King and Queen decided to have children they decided that any and all girls they had would be named after flowers.

"They ended up having four children, first they had a boy, and they decided not to name him after a flower to they called him Romeo. And then the King and Queen had three more children, all girls.

"One day, the King and Queen were in the Throne Room presiding over all their-"

"Wait you didn't tell me the Princesses' names yet!"

"I'm getting to it, waiting makes you want to know more, doesn't it?" She nods. "That's the point of a good story... So where was I before I was so _rudely_ interrupted?" I asked poking Posy on the nose. "Oh yes! One day, the King and Queen were in the Throne Room presiding over all their people, and they had Romeo with them so they could teach him how to rule Seam Kingdom one day, for that's what Princes had to do. But then they had the sudden urge to see their beautiful daughters for they had not seen them since their breakfast that morning and it was now late afternoon.

"'Sir Thomas?' the King asked, 'Please go fetch my daughters at once, I would love to see their beautiful faces.'

"'At once, sire,' Sir Thomas obeyed.

"The Princesses filed in the room one by one, youngest to oldest. The youngest Princess was named Posy-"

"That's my name!" Posy said excitedly.

"I did tell you you'd hear lots of names you know, now will you let me continue... again?" Posy nods. "Now, Princess Posy came in first, she was the youngest, only four years old. She had beautiful tan skin like her father, and grey eyes like her father, in fact she looked very much like her father! She had his straight black hair as well, but instead of a big old heavy crown, Princess Posy had a small silver tiara with purple stones and diamonds that matched her pretty purple dress. Princess Posy was known all throughout the Kingdom for having lots of fun and playing games, being the youngest she had the least responsibilities so far, and wanted to take advantage of it by playing as much as she could, she loved playing with her siblings, and village children, and even her parents when they didn't have duties to attend to.

"'Hello, father, mother, and brother, how are you today?'

"Her mother answered, 'Well, I think I can safely say for all of us that we are quite bored. And while your father and I can't play because of our royal duties I think that Romeo would love to play hide and seek in the garden.' Her mother turned to Posy's brother. 'What do you say, Romeo, would you like to play hide and seek with your sister?'

"'Well, I would absolutely love to, baby sister, but should we wait for your other sisters to ask them as well?'

"'Romeo, you are completely right, and already being fair and just, you will make a fine King one day,' his father praised him. Romeo, unlike his sister Posy looked nothing like his father, he looked just like his mother. He has fair skin, eyes that were blue as the sky, and blonde hair.

"'You're right brother! I hope our sisters come soon!'

"And if answering her sister's call the middle princess came in, Princess Primrose. Princess Primrose was eleven years old and looked just like her mother and her brother Romeo, although her hair was a lot longer than Romeo's," I tickled Posy. "Princess Primrose loved all things, she helped the poor, loved animals and had a stable with horses, and ponies, and her favorite a goat she named Lady. She also was wonderful with healing, if anyone was sick all it took was a touch of her hand and the sickness was wiped away. Sick people came from everywhere to try to ask for Princess Primrose's help, and she helped everyone she could. But when she wasn't helping the poor or the sick or playing with her animals she loved playing with her little sister Princess Posy. And instead of a heavy crown like her father, she had a silver tiara in her hair, one with blue sapphires that matched her eyes and diamonds, and she wore a dress of sapphire blue."

"Why doesn't Princess Posy get a special power? That's unfair!" Posy protested.

I acted surprised, because I kind of was, I forgot to make Princess Posy have a power, goddamn it, I had to make up Princess Posy's power on the spot. "Did I not say before? Princess Posy had the ability to make anyone and everyone around her happy. She could make the saddest person cry tears of joy instead of sorrow, that's why she loves playing so much, because she likes being happy too!

"So Posy asked her sister, 'Primrose would you like to play hide and seek with Romeo and I in the garden?!'

"And since Princess Primrose loved to play as well, she replied with a happy, 'Yes, sister, I would love to play! But where is our other sister?'

"Where was their other sister indeed? Their oldest sister wasn't around the castle a lot and nobody knew where she went. All they know is that she leaves without a trace and when she comes back to the castle she's as happy as someone who has spent all day with Princess Posy. And she needed the help of her sister Princess Posy a lot these days to keep her happy because her parents were talking about her getting married. And one of the problems of being a princess is that you have to marry a prince. You cannot marry whoever you may love, unless of course it was a prince. But most princes weren't like their brother Romeo, most princes were snobs, and the broke girls' hearts.

"But today, like Princess Primrose, it seemed like their oldest sister, Princess Katniss, listened to her sisters' calls and was coming into the Throne room. Being the oldest sister she was fifteen years old and took after her father and Princess Posy for looks. She had beautiful smooth tan skin, grey eyes, and shiny black hair that went all the way down to her waist. She wore a beautiful satin red and orange dress that made her look on fire, and on her head sat her silver tiara but instead of purple stones, or blue sapphires, her's had diamonds and different colored red, orange, yellow, and all the colors you see in the fire stones. She had the biggest tiara because she was the oldest sister, and it looked like it weighed heavily on her.

"Now that her parents wanted her to marry, men came from all over the country and across the seas just to gaze upon her beauty. And they all offered her many things if she were to be their wife; jewels, castles, land, and everything you could ever imagine. But her family noticed that the more men came to gaze upon her and the more things they offered her the sadder she became. They knew it was serious when even Princess Posy couldn't make her happy."

"I couldn't make her happy?! I mean, Princess Posy couldn't make her happy? And is she the prettiest princess because you're in love with her?"

"Posy! That was supposed to be our secret! And I said the princesses were all pretty in their own different ways!"

But Posy didn't seem convinced. "You said she looked like she was on fire. Fire is the hottest thing. And I've heard boys call the girls they think are beautiful and pretty 'hot'."

"Goddamn it, Pose, you're too smart for your own good!"

"Uh-oh, you said a bad word!"

"Well you told our special secret so that makes us even!"

"Are you going to tell her that you love her?"

"Yes, Posy, after I'm done your bedtime story, I've been planning it for a while now."

"Are you going to tell her you dream about her?"

"What are you taking about?"

"Sometimes, when I wake up to go to the bathroom, I hear you in your room and you're making noises and saying, 'Katniss, oh, Katniss, you feel so good, I love you so much.'"

Oh. My. God. My three and a half year old sister heard me having wet dreams about Katniss. Since when do I talk in my sleep? At least she just thinks I'm dreaming about her... not about being inside her... oh, this is so awkward. So I try to finish this up. "Maybe I'll tell her I dream of her, but I will tell her I love her, but we need to finish your story first, so no more interruptions, okay?"

"Okay, I hope you and Katniss get married."

"Posy!" I calm down for a minute. "Can I please finish the story now so I can tell Katniss how much I love her?"

"Yes."

"Thank, God. Okay: No one knew why Princess Katniss was so sad. So one day, Romeo, being the good big brother he was, followed her to wherever she went that made her so happy. After a while the forest was getting so dense that he had to tie up his horse and continue on foot, but it was obvious that Katniss knew where she was going because she maneuvered her horse through the forest like she'd done it tons of times before, and Romeo thought that she probably had.

"Romeo saw her sister and horse enter into an open field that was full of wildflowers, there was a rock ledge that had berry bushes surrounding it and a weeping willow tree was next to a large pond, that was filled with pond lilies, and katniss flowers. Romeo thought the place was beautiful and perhaps her just coming here and getting away from royal life was what was making her happy but he quickly learned that it wasn't, or at least it wasn't the only thing.

"Romeo saw her looking around, as if looking for something. But she wasn't looking for something she was looking for someone. Then Romeo saw who she was looking for. A man atop a chestnut colored horse. Romeo noticed that he was not royal by the way he dressed.

"'Gale, oh, Gale!' Katniss shouted to the man on the horse. Gale quickly jumped down off his horse and swept Katniss off her feet, hugging her to him and swinging her around, giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Now Romeo, would normally would have dueled this man for dare touching his little sister, but he could see how his sister's face light up like the sun when she looked at this man, Gale. He decided to watch and think of what to further do. He knew his sister was supposed to be married, no wonder she was so upset, if she loved this man, she wouldn't want to marry anyone else. Romeo was lucky he met the Princess he was going to marry and they both go along wonderfully, they loved each other, so he knew what love looked like. It looked like him and his Juliet. He went back to watching his sister and this man.

"'Oh, Katniss, I've missed you so much,' Gale said while keeping her in the circle of his arms.

"'Just as I've missed you, Gale!' Katniss told him. 'My parents want me to marry, Gale!'

"'Well, that's wonderful news! You know I want to marry you more than anything!'

"'No, Gale, I would marry you in a heartbeat, for my heart beats for you! But as a princess my parents say it is my duty to marry another royal! It's so horrible, men are coming from everywhere, from all across the country, Gale, they have even sailed the sea to come to Seam! They promise me trinkets, jewels, castles, and land, they promise me the world, but all I want is you!'

"Gale's face had fell as he processed this news, he could not lose his Katniss, his heart would cease to beat. 'Well, then, run away with me, Katniss! I know you don't love being a Princess! And now making you marry someone you do not wish to, this is horrific! I can not allow it for your sake!'

"'Oh, but, Gale, what could you possibly do other than you've already done? You love me, and it means the world to me. I wouldn't trade it for anything.'

"'So let's run away together, without your jewels and fancy clothes, we could create a new life together! You could be Katniss Everthorne, my love, my wife, my life!'"

"Oh, you put you guys' last names together for the story!"

"Yes, Posy, I did, but if you keep interrupting then I'll never get the chance to tell Katniss I love her. So if you interrupt one more time, the story's over and you'll never get to know the end."

"Oh, no, no! I'll be good! I'll be good! Please finish!"

"Are you sure?

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Okay. 'Gale, my love, if it were only that easy, but I can't leave my family, my mother and father, my brother and sisters, I love them too!'

"'But we've already started our own family.'

"Katniss looked scared and put a hand on her stomach. She looked up at Gale but saw how much love and devotion shined in his eyes and asked him, 'But, how did you know? Only my nurse knows, and I threatened my own nurse, a woman I've known since birth, with death if she told anyone! I hated doing that, she's like part of my family but I couldn't let anyone else know! What if they meant the baby harm!?'

"Romeo heard the word baby and knew things were very complicated indeed, but he also knew what he needed to do.

"'Katniss, my love, I am the oldest of eight siblings, I know the signs.'

"Katniss blushed and looked down, her hand resting where their baby was growing. Then Gale took his work-worn hand and put it atop hers and they looked deep into each others' eyes. 'Let's just spend the day here before I have to go back to the castle. I will think on what you said. I don't want to leave my family, especially my siblings since they are not forcing me to do something I do not want to do, but I love you, and you are this baby's father. Let's just lie here and in the meadow, please, my love, I am tired.'

"'I would do anything for you, Katniss, you have to know that. And if you simply feel like lying around in the flowers we will do so. I've brought bread, apples, some cheese, and water to eat. I didn't bring wine because I know of your condition.'

"'Even I did not know you can't have wine while with child. I have had a few glasses with supper over the past week, will that harm the baby?!' Katniss cried.

"'No, my love, it takes more than that, but you should avoid it whenever you can.'

"'I don't know what I would do without you, you're always looking out for me. Me, and now our child.' She smiled at him. He went over to his horse, which was by the water drinking, it knew not to stray. He went into the stable bags and got out the food and drink and walked back over to Katniss, he took her hand and pulled her down with him onto the bed of wildflowers, with her head resting on his chest they stared at the clouds, hardly needing to talk at all, because they were happy to just be together.

"Far back at the castle of the Seam, Romeo was dismounting his horse, and running inside to the Throne Room to speak to his parents, but he knew if he brought his sisters in on this he would have a better chance of making sure Katniss got what she wanted. The court looked around in wonder as the Crowned Prince looking less than perfect.

"'Mother, father! I have urgent news! Sir Thomas! Please fetch my sisters Primrose and Posy as quickly as you possibly can!'

"'What about Katniss?' The Queen wondered.

"His father, the King, answered drolly, 'She is probably wherever she goes these days, God knows it's nowhere in the castle.'

"Romeo's heart was practically beating out of his chest, if this didn't work he ruined his sister's chance at happiness and true love, the most powerful thing in the world, he learned from Juliet. Love was more powerful than ruling a Kingdom. But he would do his duty when it was called, because luckily for him he was in love with a Princess, his poor, beautiful sister Katniss was not, and now she was pregnant with this man, Gale's, child. Not only was his sister's happiness at stake, or Gale's life but the life of their unborn baby.

"Primrose and Posy ran in hand-in-hand looking urgent, like they knew how important this was. Maybe Posy could tell how life or death this was by his feelings. Even Posy couldn't change them right now, he had a heart felt and kingly speech to deliver. 'Everyone leave the room!' But no one moved thinking this was some sort of joke. 'If I have to tell everyone to leave the room one more time you might be leaving in pieces!' He put his hand on the hilt of his sword. That's when people started scrambling out. It took a few minutes and then Romeo checked behind pillars and suits of armor to make sure no one was listening into this possibly life-or-death situation. Nothing said in this room could leave this room until a decision was made.

"Romeo started, 'As I'm sure everyone is aware that Katniss has not been herself of late, not been herself for about the past year, in fact. Like everyone else I wanted to know why. But unlike everyone else, I decided to take action. Katniss leaves the castle everyday by horseback, and I followed her.

"'I followed her to a beautiful hidden meadow, with a small pond and wildflowers, at first, I thought this was why she was happy. She was getting a reprieve from castle life. She has been going through a lot since you, mother and father, have announced that she must be married. When it was announced for me, I was lucky, I found the love of my life with Juliet and cannot wait to marry her. But how many men have come for Katniss' hand? Hundreds! And after each and every man she seems more and more depressed!

"'But what I found when I followed Katniss was not just a beautiful reprieve from castle life. I saw her with her true love.'

"'WHAT?!' the King shouted, 'This is not possible! Katniss has hundreds of suitors each willing to give her more than the last. Her Beauty is unparalleled at this time. That's why she has so many suitors! Who is this "_true love_" I will not stand for it!'

"The Queen looked upset, but not in an angry way, a sad way. And Princess Primrose looked like she was about to cry, she had read stories of true love and couldn't imagine what would happen to her older sister if her father did something to separate them. And Princess Posy knew that was why she couldn't help her oldest sister, without her true love she's not complete. But Princess Posy did feel something that was happy in Katniss, she motioned for her brother to come closer so she could ask him.

"'Romeo,' Princess Posy whispered, 'I think I know why I couldn't help Katniss feel better. Without your true love you're not whole, so I couldn't fix her feelings. But I _did_ feel a set of whole feelings inside Katniss.' She finished cryptically and looked her brother in the eye and he nodded. _Well_, Princess Posy thought _that makes sense_.

"Romeo took charge again. 'Well since I am going to be King someday, and at the time of this someday, you will be dead and Katniss will still be alive, I will make the decision of her well being for her. Because she does not want any of her suitors. She told the man she loves that all she needs is him, and she would run away from him in a heartbeat if it weren't for me and Primrose and Posy. Because she loves us and we're not forcing her to do something she does not want to do. She loves you mother and father, but she did not choose to be a princess. I'm sure she would be happy to still be a princess if you let her marry who she wants. Her true love. And before you answer, father, know that she is having his baby.'

"The King turned white, then pink, then red, then purple, until the Queen hit him on the back and he started to breathe again.

"'You will not get her dowry now, father, now that she's _ruined_. Even though she's the farthest thing from ruined, with this man she's so happy, she never stopped smiling except when she told him about you forcing her to get married, and he didn't know that it was supposed to be married to a royal because he was overjoyed at the thought of marring her. He didn't even know she was a princess when they met, they fell in love like two normal people would. And he doesn't want anything but her, and a family with her. When they talked of running away together he told her that she could leave all of her jewels and fancy dresses and no one would pay them any mind, they would just be happy together.' Okay, so Romeo didn't know for sure that the man Gale didn't know she was a princess when they met, but he knew his sister and if she went off riding to get away from the castle life he highly doubts that she would wear her tiara. And he also know she loves love stories, she would want Gale to fall in love with who she was inside, not her title.

"The Queen spoke up, 'Romeo, since you will one day be King, and are a great judge of character, please tell me what you think of this man.'

"'Well, mother, he seemed like a strong, hard working man who's world revolved around Katniss. He didn't stop looking at her for even on second with a look of adoration on his face. It is plain as the sun in the sky that he loves her.'

"'Well, I, for one respect your judgement Romeo. And all I want is to see my children happy. All my children. And if Katniss is in love with someone not of noble birth there is little I can do about it. Especially if she saw it fit to make me a grandmother.'

"'Wife,' the King started, 'you can not be serious! He is not a royal!'

"The Queen got angry, and no one had ever seen the Queen get angry. 'Husband, I am quite serious. And if you decide to keep your small mind, I will give Katniss my blessing to run away with her love, and I'm sure that Romeo would agree, given that he has brought this to our attention, and I'm also sure her sisters would agree because they just want to see their sister happy. Am I right in my thoughts, children?'

"It was Princess Posy who answered, because she knew all about peoples' feelings. 'We all want Katniss to be happy. And I know without her true love that she would never be whole or happy again. Father, you have to look inside your heart and find your love for your eldest daughter, and your want for her to have a happy life.'

"Princess Posy was wise beyond her years, and the King was moved by her heartfelt speech. 'You are right my little, Posy. I would like to meet this man face to face.'

"Romeo decided to take precautions. 'Father, you must swear on your Kinghood that you will do no harm to Katniss' love, or for that matter, Katniss and your unborn grandchild.'

"The King looked sad, 'Do you really think so little of me, son?'

"'You were extremely upset when I told you of them, I want to make sure that nothing happens,' Romeo answered.

"The King nodded, 'Very well, I swear on my Kinghood that I will not harm Katniss' love, Katniss or my unborn grandchild. You have all seen me swear it. And if I break my vow, you can behead me. I feel bad about my reaction earlier. I was surprised. Posy, you can feel what I am feeling, can you not? Am I telling the truth?'

"Posy nodded, 'Yes, father you are telling the truth, and you are doing the right thing.'

"'Romeo, son, please lead a search party to this meadow, and bring both of them back unharmed, it is time we all talked.'

"'Right away, father.'

"So Romeo lead a group of royal guards, along with a carriage that would carry the couple back to the castle. But like before with Romeo's horse, they had to leave the carriage at the edge of the wood. Romeo, Sir Thomas, Sir Rory, and Sir Vick, the most trusted guards went through the wood to the meadow. Which they found as beautiful as the Prince described. And they found Princess Katniss napping on her love's chest and her love also napping having gently wrapped his arms around her.

"Romeo decided it would be best if he approached himself first as to try not to scare his lovely sister and her love, Gale. 'Katniss,' the Prince whispered. She stirred but didn't wake completely, but Gale did wake up and stared wide-eyed at the Prince right in front of him. He did not move for fear and for fear of waking his precious Katniss up.

"Romeo saw how scared the man Gale was, and held his hands up in peace and whispered since his sister was still asleep. 'Good, sir, I know you're name is Gale and you love my sister greatly, just as she loves you. I mean you no harm. I would not do anything to upset my sister.' Romeo could see that his kind voice were starting to calm Gale. 'I see that my sister is sleeping, she has been doing that more than normal of late, and I had been wondering why. But now I know.' Gale looked scared again but Romeo quickly calmed him. 'I am not mad, Gale, I have never seen my sister this happy. How could I be mad at a man who did something no one else could?'

"Romeo was still whispering, but little did either of the men know that Katniss woke up when Gale tensed when Romeo told him he knew his sister was pregnant. But Katniss remained still, pretending to still be sleeping to hear what her brother would say to the man she loved without knowing she was listening.

"'When my parents announced that Katniss had to be married it was about a year ago. That is when she started to become very sad, and left the castle even more often than she used to. When I figured this out, I remembered that Katniss had been leaving the castle for a number of years, about three if I remember correctly, but not as frequently as she has this past year, since the announcement. Three years. Is that when she met you?'

"Gale nodded his head. 'Yes, my Prince, although, I promise you I did not know she was a Princess for the first year we spent time together. I only knew she was the most perfect girl in the world, and I knew that I loved her with all my heart and would do anything for her.'

"'That's what I thought,' Romeo said, 'she has always loved love stories, and probably wanted a friend that didn't care that she was a Princess.'

"'And I don't care!, Gale said, but then realized it didn't sound right. 'Well I do care, I treat her like a Princess, but I would treat her like a Princess even if her father was a farmer, she is the whole world to me.'

"'I will tell you the truth,' Romeo told Gale, and Katniss who was still pretending she was sleeping, 'everyone in the castle noticed how sad she had become, and how she would leave the castle for the whole day and come back with a smile on her face. Everyone wanted to know what was making her so happy, but being her big brother, I thought it was my duty to find out. So I followed her as she rode out of the stables on horseback, and followed her as long as I could on horseback, but I must admit, my sister's better at riding horses than I am,' he joked with Gale.

"'Yes,' Gale said, 'sometimes we have races for fun and she beats me every time, it's like she's part of the horse, or can speak into it's mind.'

"Romeo chuckled and continued, 'Yes, well when we came to the denser part of the woods, Katniss kept riding, although a little slower, for which I am thankful, because I had to tie up my horse and follow on foot. She got to the meadow before I did, but luckily there were her horse's tracks to follow. And at first, to be honest, I thought it was just the beauty of this place that was making her happy, a reprieve from life in the castle. I saw all the wildflowers, the pond, the weeping willow, which has always been one of Katniss' favorite trees, and the rock ledge with the berry bushes, and I thought that this was a wonderful place to come to, it was beautiful and peaceful. But then I was surprised when I saw her looking around for something, then I realized when you came into the clearing that it was a someone. My first thought as an older brother was to challenge you to a duel, but then I saw he face light up, and she was smiling so widely I thought her cheeks would spilt. I've never seen her smile so big. And then I realized it, because I know the feeling myself, you two love each other. I'm lucky that I fell in love with a Princess, Juliet, and then I thought how awful it must be for Katniss having to hide her love while watching men come from all over trying to win her hand.'

"Romeo say Gale's jaw clench. 'Yes, I wouldn't like it either if someone was trying to take my Juliet away from me. I listened for a few more minutes, and I figured you didn't know she was a Princess when you just didn't care, and loved my sister for who she was and not her title. And I thank you for that. And then I heard that my sister's with child.' Romeo say Gale's eye widen again. 'Don't worry, while I don't like that you aren't married and are having a child, I can see where that can be a problem, and if you loved my sister any less, then we _would_ have a problem. But I know you love her and she loves you equally. So I knew what I had to do.

"'I rode hard and fast back to the castle and demanded my parents' and sisters' attention, and kicked everyone else out of the Throne Room. I wanted this to be a private family matter. They took me seriously when I said if I had to ask again they might be leaving in pieces.'

"Gale chuckled quietly not wanting to wake up Katniss, who little to his knowledge was still pretending to be asleep and just listening to her brother and the love of her life.

"'I knew that our sisters would be on Katniss' side, and therefore my side, because I just want Katniss to be happy. My father certainly did not take it well at first. And my youngest sister Posy, can feel people's emotions, and while I was talking she was thinking and then she motioned me over to her and said that Katniss having a true love was why she couldn't make her happy because Katniss was not whole without her true love. But then she told me she did feel happy feelings _inside_ of Katniss, and I knew that she knew that Katniss was pregnant, and I confirmed it to her, and then the rest of my family. My mother was quiet, and hard to read, but certainly not angry, and Primrose and Posy were beside themselves with happiness. But it seemed like my father had forgotten to breathe. He turned a few different colors and was very mad. And then something happened that I had never seen. My mother got angry with my father. She said that all she wanted was her children's happiness, and that if my father was going to keep being small-minded that she would give Katniss her blessing to run away with you. And then Posy expressed that if our father would look inside his heart he would want all of his children happy. And that's what made him change his mind. He wanted to meet you. But I made sure it wasn't a trick. He swore on his Kinghood that he would not harm you, Katniss, or your unborn child in anyway. And if he broke his oath he would be beheaded. Posy confirmed he was telling the truth and asked me to bring a search party here and return with you two completely unharmed, so we could talk as a family.'

"Katniss jerked up and scared the living daylights out of the two boys, for they thought she was asleep. 'Romeo, do you jest?! Father would meet Gale? And not hurt him? This is a wonderful, wonderful day!' And with that she jumped up, grabbed Gale's hand and pulled him up where he did what Romeo first saw him do to Katniss. He picked her up, hugging her to him and swinging them around, but instead of the kiss on the head he gave her a big kiss on the lips. Then looked up and apologized to Romeo who just looked happy.

"'Sister, I have Sirs Thomas, Rory, and Vick with me to escort you both, and a carriage at the edge of the woods for you both to ride in, there are more guards there to escort us, and I'm glad I brought them because I don't think I want to leave you two in the carriage alone together,' Romeo said jokingly.

"'What about my horse?' Gale asked sheepishly.

"'You horse can come with us and get a royal treatment in the royal stables.' Romeo smiled.

"Katniss walked up to her brother, and gave him a big hug. 'I can not thank you enough, Romeo, if it wasn't for you, my life would be over, because I can not live without Gale.'

"'It is my pleasure, sister, now shall we go? We don't want to make the royal family waiting now, do we?' he said jokingly.

"Katniss and Gale walked hand-in-hand with Romeo on the other side of Katniss as they walked through the woods toward the carriage. It was about a fifteen minute walk to the carriage and would take about a hour and a half to get back to the castle.

"'Gale would you like some nicer clothes to change into? I brought some with me,' Romeo asked.

"Katniss and Gale looked at each other communicating with their eyes. 'No, thank you very much, though, my Prince. I would rather show your family the real me.'

"'That, in itself is very nobel of you, Gale. And please I insist that you call me Romeo, with all luck, you could be my brother soon.' That comment put a huge smile on both Gale and Katniss' faces.

"After the ride back, the three of them dismissed their guards for this was a family matter, and walked into the Throne Room. When the entered the King and Queen sat on their thrones, the King with an unreadable expression, and the Queen with a small smile on her lips. Princess Primrose and Posy were also there and they had great big smiles on their faces. Princess Posy could feel the love radiating between Gale and Katniss, and knew that she would be able to be of help to their cause. She also felt the little life inside Katniss' belly and it made her so happy.

"The King spoke first, 'So you are the one who has put a baby in my daughter.'

"The Queen looked at her husband sharply. 'Husband, you know they love each other, stop trying to intimidate them. You know what I said earlier, I will give them my blessing if I do not like what you decide."

"Romeo stepped forward. 'I've learned more about their relationship. Do you remember when Katniss started leaving for the day around three years ago? Not as much as she does now, but she did leave, that's when she met, this man, Gale. And I'm sorry, Gale I never did catch your surname."

"'It's Everthorne, Gale Everthorne."

"The Queen smiled gently at him and asked, 'So what does your family do, Mr. Everthorne? Did you join whatever your family business is?"

"'Well, your Highness, we own a blacksmith's shop. My father runs it. I'm the second in command, since I am the oldest of eight siblings. But lately my father has been giving me time off so I can visit with Katniss, I have five younger brothers and two younger sisters. Four of my brothers are close to me in age, and are all very strong for their age, so they are learning the trade so I can visit. All they know is I met a girl three years ago and feel in love. For over a year Katniss kept it secret from me that she was a Princess, so of course I didn't tell my family that. And, I'll admit, I still haven't told my family she's a Princess. Not that I'm ashamed at all, the opposite. They would feel ashamed of us being a working class family and forbid me from seeing her, and I couldn't let that happen. I love her too much for that.'

"'Where did you meet my daughter?' the Queen asked.

"'There was a meadow that I had been going to since I was a young boy. And one day about three years ago, I rode into the meadow and saw the most beautiful girl I had ever seen sitting on the ground near the pond, soaking her feet in the water holding a bouquet of wildflowers. I think I had never seen beauty until that day. We spent time together talking, and agreed in times to meet each other, and we did, for months, and then she finally told me she was Princess Katniss of Seam. And I couldn't believe it, because, no offense to your family, but I thought that royal people would never mix with common folks. Then the next time we met she brought her tiara, and I couldn't believe it. But she said that she commanded me not to treat her any differently than she already had, and I just started laughing because she was acting like what I thought a princess was "commanding me". I had known I was in love with her four months before she told me she was a princess, and I told her, and she said she loved me back. It was the happiest day of my life. I don't know what I would do without her. I think I was put on this world simply to be her partner, her friend, her lover, to be by her side for anything and everything. And I guess that's all I have to say, unless you have anymore questions for me. Except, I have to ask that you let us stay together. I love her more than the world and stars put all together.'

"Princes Katniss was crying tears of joy and happiness, as were her sisters, her mother had a smile on her face and tears in her eyes, and Romeo was smiling like crazy. And then Romeo looked to his father, and he saw that Gale's words had melted his heart, and that he wouldn't separate them. They would stay together, but Romeo knew that the King would make them have a wedding as soon as possible because Katniss was pregnant. It takes months to plan a royal wedding, but Romeo knew that his and Juliet's wedding was almost completely finished planned, and that he knew that he and his love would allow Katniss and Gale to have their wedding date, because Gale and Katniss' wedding was time-sensitive and His and Juliet's could wait, and that he knew she wouldn't mind, she would do anything for true love. So he mentioned his idea to his parents and they agreed. And if Katniss wasn't crying tears of happiness before now, she certainly was now, and she ran to her brother and leaped and hugged him for all she was worth. And Gale was also crying tears of joy and smiled and nodded his thanks to his soon to be brother-in-law.

"A month of happiness later, the castle and the whole of the Seam was decorated to the nines, there were flowers and streamers everywhere. The whole Kingdom was rejoicing. It was unheard of, a common person marrying a Princess, but all across the Kingdom, Gale and Katniss' story of The Truest Love was being told, and all the women loved the story, and all the men were jealous of Gale because now they had to do even grander gestures of love.

"The wedding was being held in the royal garden. There was a beautiful archway covered in flowers where Gale and Katniss would stand under and say their vows. Gale was already waiting their, with Romeo and his five younger brothers standing by his side as his best men. He was waiting for the love of his life to come down the aisle on her father's arm. Her mother was already sitting with his parents in the front row. To say they were surprised that he was seeing a Princess for three years, and even more surprised that the royal family allowed them to get married, but they were oh, so grateful and so excited for their oldest.

"Then the wedding music started playing and Gale looked down the aisle. Gale's little sisters' were the first ones down the aisle being two of Katniss' bridesmaids. Their names even matched the royal girls' names. Rose and Lily. Then came Romeo's love, Juliet, who he was thankful to for giving up her wedding date was another one of Katniss' bridesmaids. Then came Princess Primrose, who looked as lovely as all the others, and finally little Princess Posy, who was doing double duty as the flower girl and being a bridesmaid.

"Then Gale's breath seemed to stop, there, standing at the end of the aisle was the love of his life, Katniss, she was beautiful. Actually beautiful wasn't a strong enough word. She was otherworldly, ethereal. He couldn't believe she loved him. Her dress was ivory in color, and was body was satin, but covering the whole thing was a layer of lace. Lace over the whole body of the dress all the way to the ground, and where there wasn't satin on her arms, there was lace. And on the lace there were patterns, swirls, and patterns that looked like ivy and leaves and katniss flowers. The patterns were made of pearls and diamonds, and she sparkled in the sun. Her long hair was piled beautifully atop her head, and wrapped around her hair was strings of pearls, and diamond hair pieces were put in her hair as well. Maybe he was dying, Gale thought, because this had to be an angel.

"It seemed to take forever for her father to walk her down the aisle, but then, finally she was in front of him, and her father put her hand in his, an act of giving her away, and saying that he trusted me to protect her, which he would. He would give his life for her. The words the preacher said were a blur to both of them, they were just staring into each other's eyes. They only snapped out of it to say 'I do' and slip the rings onto each other's fingers. His was simple and a silver color, and hers was filled with diamonds. Gale heard, 'and now you may kiss your bride' and he did, to the cheers of everyone there.

"Gale wasn't sure how exactly it worked because when he married her he thought that she would become a commoner, which she said on multiple occasions she wouldn't mind, but somehow with all his power, her father, the King made it so he was a Prince. A whole new royal family. The Everthornes. He had talked to the King and Prince Romeo, or 'just Romeo' as he preferred to be called, and apparently the King liked him. So as a wedding gift him and Katniss, King and Queen Everthorne were given some land, not as much as the rest of her family, but they were more than happy with it. There land included the meadow where they first met. So they decided to call their little Kingdom "The Meadow". Now that their wedding was over they helped plan Romeo and Juliet's new one, they worked very hard because they were so thankful that they had given up their original wedding day for them. They could never thank them enough.

"About six months after their wedding day, Katniss gave birth to a health baby boy. The Prince of the Meadow. They named him Ethan. The whole Kingdom rejoiced when the Prince was born and there was a party that lasted a whole week, and many and many presents. They were a happy family, and visited the rest of the family often. A year and a half later, they found out that Katniss was pregnant again. She had a second boy they named Jayden. Then another two years later they found out she was pregnant again, but they couldn't figure out why she had gotten so much bigger with this pregnancy than she did with her first two but found out when the babies were born. Yes, babies, she had twin girls, that they named Rose and Violet. They were such a happy family, and nothing seemed to ever be able to change that. And they lived happily ever after, one great, big, happy family."

Posy was very sleepy by then. She smiled up at me sleepily and said, "That was the best bedtime story ever, Gale. I loved it. I hope when you tell Katniss you love her she loves you back. Good luck, Gale, and good night, and thank you for the story."

I leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, "Anytime, little sister, good night."

**AN: **okay so I might have gone a bit over board with the story, but I just had such a fun time writing it, so I decided to include it all. I hope you liked it! **edit: 11/12** I've changed the format of the story - well I put better spaces in them because I realized that it was a little hard to read. It looks a lot better on my Document page because there's 'tabs'! So I think I fixed it, if anyone knows a better way to do it please let me know! :-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Hazelle**

Did Katniss think she was the only one who could listen in to Gale's bedtime story? Now, as his mother, I've heard a many of them. I know why he does it. His father used to tell stories to him, Rory, and Vick. But Gale remembers them the best because he was oldest. This had to be the best story he's told. While Katniss was peeking in through the doorway, I snuck out of the house and picked an open window where I could get a good view of Katniss, I wanted to think of what she thought about the story. Almost all of Gale's stories have him and Katniss ending up together. I should say that it was shameful of me to sneak out and listen to Gale and at the same time watch Katniss' face, but I don't think it was. It was worth it. I wanted to know how Katniss would feel about some of Gale's confessions. And I wasn't disappointed.

Katniss' reactions to the story, and just Gale and Posy talking made me so happy. A lot of the time it's hard to know what Katniss is thinking, I know that Gale can see though almost every single mask she wears because he spends so much time with her, and she can do with same with him. She can read his faces, even when he's trying to control the emotions that show on his face. And I swear that they have their own secret language that they can mostly use with just their eyes, it's amazing how close they are. But when Katniss doesn't know anyone is watching her, her masks drop almost completely.

When Gale started his story with the "Seam Kingdom" she smiled slightly, probably wishing that the Seam was really a fairytale place. Her smile got bigger when Posy said that the Seam was just filled with coal dust. She listened patiently with a small calm smile on her face as Gale started his story and smiled again when Posy interrupted. The name Romeo made something flash in front of her eyes, I'm sure she's heard it before but has forgotten what the name's from. I know it from my husband's old books. _Romeo and Juliet_ is a classic. I hope that Gale shares it with Katniss sometime, maybe I will suggest it. When Gale named the youngest princess Princess Posy and Posy got excited Katniss smiled a little bigger. When Gale got to Princess Primrose and explained about her personality Katniss smiled real big, that seemed like Prim alright. Then Posy pointed out that Princess Posy didn't get a power, Katniss snickers, because she knows what I do, when I looked at Gale's face I knew he forgot to give Posy a "power", he plays it off well though. Katniss smiles at Posy's power too, because Posy does have a tendency to make everyone around her happy.

When Gale said the oldest princess was Princess Katniss, she scoffed, Katniss really doesn't think she's pretty, she really doesn't care about her looks, it's both a good and a bad thing, I think. Though I think that Gale did a good job describing Katniss, she really is a beautiful girl. Though Katniss scoffed again when Gale said that men came from all over just to see her. And then laughs at Posy's question about Princess Posy's power not working on Princess Katniss. Then when she hears the rest of what Posy said her eyes widen to the size of plates, she can't believe it. And I think that she thought it was just the thoughts of a three and a half year old until Gale confirms it. And then Katniss' face gets bright, bright red when she hears about Gale's dreams. As a mother with three boys, I know about those type of dreams, but it doesn't mean I like hearing about them. At least Gale loves Katniss, and at least Posy just think it's a dream about Katniss. Katniss is still beet red and looks embarrassed, and what's this... maybe even a little flattered. She told me herself when she was helping me clean up that all the girls like Gale. Even though she's embarrassed she looks determined to stay and continue listening.

Gale makes the place Princess Katniss go to a mixture of the places they go to, but especially their special rock with the berry bushes and the Meadow. He's told me of some of the places they go. I look to Katniss and she just seems to be listening trying to process what Gale's already said. She manages a small smile when Gale puts our last names together for his last name in the story, and Posy pointing it out. She looks a little scared when in the story her character's pregnant, but gets over it and continue listening.

I find it funny that Katniss, or Princess Katniss, in Gale's story is only happy when she's away from the castle, in the woods, or in this case a pretty meadow. Because Gale has told me numerous times that the only time that Katniss smiles, or truly acts herself is in the woods.

Katniss seems to have a tenderness in her eyes when Gale in the story is explaining how much he loves his Katniss. And how much he would do for her, how much he would give for her. Because perhaps, like me, she can tell that he's saying it as the character, but he would do the same exact things for her in real life. I know he would. Mother's know these things. Katniss smiles slightly when Gale's character turns down fancy clothes, because I know they both hate them. They'd both rather be in hunting gear 24/7. Katniss frowns slightly when Gale describes their wedding and her dress, because I know, from what Gale's told me, that Katniss never wants to get married or have kids. Not in the world with the Games. But at the end of the story Katniss gives a little smile, because she knows how much Gale loves her, I think. Posy's right, this was Gale's best bedtime story ever. But I hope it comes true, at least parts of it, anyway. I want my Gale and Katniss happy. I sneak back into the house quietly, while Gale's saying goodnight to Posy, and while Katniss hasn't noticed that she hasn't stopped staring at them. So I go up to her and tap her on the shoulder. Her eyes are suspiciously shiny. I pretend not to notice and tell her Gale's going to be coming out soon. And that seems to snap her out of it, she blinks and puts on a relatively blank mask and sits on a chair at the table waiting for Gale. I hope everything goes well tonight.

**Katniss**  
I could believe some of the things that Gale said in his bedtime story to Posy. but the most revealing things were the things that Posy blurted out and Gale had to answer. Gale loves me? Well wasn't I thinking just today that he is the only person I couldn't stand being reaped. Because I care about him. I care about him more than any other boy I know. He's up there in my mind with Prim. And that's very far up. And so Gale dreams about me. That's kind of embarrassing, but kind of flattering at the same time, there are so many much more pretty girls at school, and he dreams about me? If I'm being 100 percent honest to myself I've had one or two dreams like that... and they did star Gale. I put my head in my hands, oh, god.

I have talked to Gale many times about the future. I never want to get married and have kids. I think that my mother ruined marriage for me. And kids, well there's the Hunger Games and you can't protect your kids from that. In Gale's story we got married and had four kids. Well that was just a story. Probably his dream. I wish I could give it to him. Maybe in years I'll change? You never know what's going to happen. I told Hazelle about what most of the girls talk about in school, what they do with boys. And while I would never, ever advertise it, even I have to admit some of it sounds like fun. This time I hit my hands to my face and lean my head down. What the hell am I thinking? Am I thinking like a normal teenage girl? The thought makes me shudder.

According to Gale he is going to tell me he loves me tonight. The only person I know I love for sure is Prim. But, as I said, Gale is up there. Do I love him? Just in a different way than Prim? I would certainly never have those types of dreams about Prim, I think with a chuckle. No, the couple I've had only had Gale and I. The things he said about me in his story, the tone of voice he used, it's his honest voice. I know the difference between his voices. He thinks I'm beautiful... what were the other words he used? Otherworldly and ethereal? Most girls would be over the moon if they heard a boy describe them like that. But I don't want to mess up our friendship, and hunting partnership. But maybe admitting feelings beyond that of friendship could strengthen our bond. Maybe we could hunt even better together. I've come up with my conclusion, I like Gale back. I'm not sure if it's love, and we're going to take it slow, if he still decides to tell me. Which he really seemed adamant to do. Now to wait for him.

**Gale**  
Tonight's the night. I'm going to tell Katniss how I feel about her. How I really feel about her, how I've felt about her for a while now. I leave the room after making sure that Posy was comfortable and well on her way to dreamland. I walk out of the room and I see her deep in thought sitting on a chair at the table. She was kind of staring blankly at the table, it's something she does when she's really, really deep in thought. I wait a minute because I don't want to stop her train of thought, and she smiles slightly, looks up, and notices me. She smiles.

"What have you been doing all this time?" I ask her.

"Oh, I just talked to Hazelle for a while, then just decided to wait for you, I know you waited for me at the Justice Building today, and your house is a whole lot better than there. But I could go home now, are you still going to walk me?" She asked.

"If I say I'm going to do something I'm going to do it, so of course I'm going to walk you. I have something I want to talk to you about anyway," I say pulling out the chair behind her.

"Why how gentlemanly, of you," she jokes.

"What can I say? My mother taught me right," I joke back "Are you going to be cold outside?"

"No, I doing think so, it was really warm today so how cold could it be? But we can check if you insist on keeping up the gentlemanly act."

"Okay, Katniss, you being the lady, you stay indoors, I'll check the outside temperature."

She laughs. "I'm sure it's fine, let's just go."

"Okay, let's go," I hold the door open for her and she walks out. The temperature was warm, it was actually really nice. Katniss and I walk side-by-side as always. I try to think where to start. I have about a ten minute walk with her if I keep the pace slow to say all I want to say. "So Katniss, how long have we known each other now?" Wow, Gale, smooth.

"We met on a Sunday in October, I was 12, and you were 14. I was looking at your snares, because none of mine ever caught anything. And you thought my name was Catnip and you told me stealing is punishable by death. And you didn't believe that I had really shot a squirrel." She said, she had a great memory for just about everything. Except math, she doesn't like math.

"It's been a long time, huh?" Seriously, Gale, you're doing great, weren't you practicing what you were going to say?

She shoots me an amused look, "Yes, it has."

"Who'd ever think we'd end up here, huh?"

"So where are we?" She asks, she's toying with me! She must have heard me tell Posy that I was telling her tonight, that's why she was looking at the table thinking so hard!

"You know, Catnip, it's a testament to how special you are to me that I'm tripping over my words like this. I've been going over how I was going to tell you for days. With other girls I didn't care about, I could smooth talk my way out of the mines without a flashlight."

"So I'm special?" She asks, suddenly shy.

"Of course you're special, you're one of the most important people in the world to me. It's you and my family. That's it. Well Prim could be like my little sister too, so she counts as family." We're about halfway to her house now.

"What makes me so special, besides my amazing aim?" That's a good sign, she added a joke.

"Katniss, the fact that you don't know what makes you special, is half of what makes you special!" I laugh. "You know what I see when I look at you?"

"Um, a girl, I hope, a friend, a hunting partner," she lists.

"Yes, to all of those things, but I can add a bunch more," I say as we slow down our pace, we're almost walking sideways looking at each other, well, I'm looking at her and she's mostly looking at my chest and then once in a while glances up at my face and blushes. I love it when she blushes, it can't be faked. "I see a _best friend_, I definitely see a girl, and you know what kind of girl I see?" I don't wait for an answer. "I see a beautiful girl inside and out. Shall I start with the outside? I love how small you are, I know you think it makes you weak but it doesn't. You're strong, plus being small and part-squirrel," that gets a smile out of her, "you can climb up in the highest of trees. I see small, delicate hands that can fool anyone into thinking you're weak, but when I see them, I see them pulling back a bow, or skinning an animal. You're skin, the amazing olive tone of the Seam, I see how smooth it is, but I see every scar you have and know how you got each one of them, and was there when you got most of them. When I look at your body, I see your skinny, but not like those freaks from the Capitol, I see lean muscle, plus a few curves, like you hips, and chest and ass," I say smiling earning a half-hearted scowl from her and a half-hearted hit to my arm. "Hey, I am a guy, you know. When I look up, I see a long graceful neck, like a swan, but it can swivel like an owl when you hear a sound when we're hunting. I see your long, black shiny hair, and it makes me want to run my hands through it. And your face is beautiful. You have beautiful lips that aren't too big and aren't too small, you have a straight nose, and beautiful big eyes, grey like other Seam eyes, but your's are different. Maybe it's because you've been through so much, maybe it's just because it's you, but you have a fire burning inside your eyes, Katniss, a fire that makes you look like you could and would do anything for someone you love."

We've stopped all together now a couple houses away from hers. "Shall I start with the inside now?" I ask her and she looks at me so fragilely and nods her head. "We'll start with the fire because that's where we left off, because you can see it if you're looking for it on the outside too. The fire, your attitude. Like I said you would and could do anything for those you love, to save them from suffering, to save them from pain. That fire could make you do anything, and make anyone and everyone listen and look to you. You just don't know it yet. You haven't gotten the chance. Your fire mirrors my own, but yours burns even brighter than mine. You don't smile often, that's true, and I've only seen real, true, full-of-teeth smiles in the woods, but when I see them, they're brighter than the sun. Or perhaps it's just the sun shining off your beautiful white teeth," I joke and it gets a small smile. And that's when I notice she's smiling with her eyes. "Your love for your family knows no bounds. And I'm going to go ahead an include my family with yours since I include Prim as my little sister too. Wow, we have too many siblings!" She smiles a little bigger that time. "Do you know how many people respect you in the Hob, and I know you think it's because they respected your father, which they did, but they respect you all on your own. They respect your skills and will to survive, and that you feed your whole family. And you think of other people, other people who aren't even your family. Like your idea about the baker and giving him squirrels because his son's in the Game. I know you like to think you're mean, but you're not, you're just realistic, and you don't give away your nice-ness for free. And the only reason Madge is your only friend at school is because all the other girls are so jealous of you. Because of all of the things I've just said. But I doubt you'd want to be their friends anyway. So do you know now how special you are to me, to a lot of people?" We're at her doorway now, where I plan to kiss her in a minute. "Do you know now how much and why I love you?"

And she looks up at me with suspiciously shiny eyes, that are filled with love, I can tell. And then she smiles at me. And then she does something I would never expect her to do. She gets up on her tiptoes, raises her arms up and puts them around my shoulders and pulls down my face so it's level with hers. She looks into my eyes for another couple seconds and then brings her face closer to mine while shutting her eyes and kisses me on the mouth. It's the most amazing thing to ever happen to me. Her lips are so soft, she doesn't move them, but I know this is her first kiss and will want to take our relationship slow. Hopefully we'll have a relationship and not just a one time kiss, I think I'm already addicted. I move my arms around her back and pull her closer against me and move me lips a little and she copies me. After what seems like hours but was probably only a minute, (the best minute of my life), we stop at the same time. We don't move our heads away from each other, our foreheads are actually still touching and we're looking into each other's half-lidded eyes. And were smiling a satisfying smile, and it's such a perfect moment.

"So, Catnip, does that mean you'll be my girlfriend, or do you just go around kissing all the boys like that?" I say to lighten up the mood, but certainly hoping I'm not being offensive.

"Gale, you know you're the first boy I've ever kissed. You on the other hand have a reputation - something about the slag heap?" She smiles.

"Oh, that?" I ask. "If that's what you're asking I've never kissed any boys behind the slag heap."

Katniss throws back her head, exposing her long, lovely neck and laughs, laughs, and laughs. I've never seen her laugh so much outside of the woods. It's amazing to see. "Oh, Gale, you know what I mean. You. Kissing girls."

I know it doesn't really bother her that much so I decide to tell her, she already knows just about everything about me, including a number of girls that I've kissed behind the slag heap, but she needs to know something. "Yes it's true, I have a reputation. I've kissed my fair share of girls behind the slag heap. But I can honestly tell you that none of them meant _anything_ to me. And if you've heard girls saying they've kissed me behind the slag heap within the last seven months, they're lying. Because that's about the time when I started thinking of you as more than just my best friend in the whole wide world and my hunting partner. I started noticing little things about you that I must have noticed before, but I guess I saw them in a different light. My thoughts started off slow, but I started ignoring girls, and I can tell you they weren't too happy about that. So, I'm sorry if they were ruder to you than usual."

She laughed, "Oh, my, I didn't notice, but they _were_!"

I looked down, embarrassed, "I'm sorry about them, Catnip."

She looked at me funny, "Don't be sorry! I'm glad those girls didn't have their dirty paws on you!"

"I already have a jealous girlfriend," I joked.

"Hey, I haven't agreed yet, finish what you were saying before."

"Oh, yeah, will my change of feelings started off slowly, but then about a month after my feelings started changing something happened. We had brought our haul to the Hob for trading - we had a decent haul, but like most times we ended our visit to the Hob with a stop at Greasy Sae's. But this particular time Darius was there, I like him, but then he started flirting with you, not that you knew that was what he was doing. Darius was teasing you about trading a rabbit for one of his kisses, and that's when I realized that I minded that he talked to you like that, talking about kissing you. Even if he was just joking. That was the moment I realized that I was in love with you and there was nothing that anyone, including us, would be able to change that. Even if you didn't love me back, I would still love you, and watch out for you."

"I remember that day-"

"You remember everything..."

"Hey, no teasing. Anyway, I remember that day, not really because of Darius, but because you were grumpy the rest of the day. You had this sour look on your face. And when I asked you what was wrong you said, 'I have important things on my mind, I need to go home and think about them.'"

I laughed. "That was the worst impersonation of my voice I've ever heard!"

"Have you heard many?" she countered.

"Well, a few," I say. "So what do you think about everything?" I say suddenly serious. I really want this to continue going well.

"Well, I'll admit that I did hear you talking to Posy about telling me you loved me tonight..."

"I knew it! I knew you wouldn't have been so calm without warning!"

"I also heard something about dreaming about me, and me feeling good," she smiled like the cat who ate the canary.

"Oh, god," I took my arms from around her, which they had been since the kiss and put my head in my hands. "Damn Posy."

"No damning your little sister. Plus who said you could take your arms off from around me?" She looked at me with one eyebrow raised. I put my arms back around her but still hang my head in embarrassment. "Gale, you're a guy, a teenage one, these things happen. I have to admit at first when I heard it I was embarrassed, but then I was oddly flattered. Do you know how many girls in our school are so much more beautiful than me that you could be dreaming about? Besides, being a teenage girl I've had one or two of those types of dreams, certainly not like boys have, I've heard boys have them every night."

"Every night sounds about right. And if we're being honest I think I started dreaming about you even before my feelings started to change. When we hunt, and you walk in the woods, you're so graceful, and deadly, and silent, it's a turn on. Who do you dream about? It better not be Darius," I say jokingly.

She bites her lip and looks down embarrassed, she looks really hot right now and I would give anything to kiss her again, but I don't want to take it to fast.

"You don't have to answer me if you don't want to... unless it's Darius because then I'd be upset," I try joking more and giving her an out. But to my surprise she doesn't take it.

She leans into me and whispers in my ear, I can tell she's really embarrassed now but trying really hard to be brave, I'm proud of her. "I've only had a couple of those types of dreams. Mostly I have nightmares. But in the couple of those dreams I have had I've dreamt about you." I look at her stunned, but she's still looking down embarrassed.

"Do you know how hot that is?" I ask incredibly. She doesn't answer. When did you get so brave?

"All those things you said about me, they made me feel beautiful. I don't normally feel beautiful, and I really don't usually care. But you made me feel so happy. I haven't felt this happy since before my father..." She looking at my chest and her eyes are shiny and I can tell she's baring her heart to me, and it makes me feel good that she can trust me like this. "I love you, too, Gale. I think I have for a while, but I didn't know what the feeling was exactly. That's what I was thinking about when you came out after telling Posy her bedtime story. I was sorting out my feelings for you. And I figured it out. I love you. And I will be your girlfriend." There are no words to describe how happy I feel right now. Perhaps I'm dead and in heaven, all the things you ever want are supposed to be there right? But then she looks up at me with a dangerous look in her eyes, "Gale, if you ever hurt me or break my heart, I'll cut yours out." She says perfectly seriously, and I expect nothing less.

"If I ever did anything to hurt you or break your heart, I wouldn't sharpen the blade, I'd find a rusty one for you to use so it'd hurt more. I will never, ever hurt you Katniss. I love you too much."

She looks at me and nods, apparently satisfied. She's still in the circle of my arms but her hands are resting on my chest and she looks at them. "It's getting late, we have school tomorrow, so we'd better get going to bed. Will you pick me and Prim up for school, it's on your way. We can drop the kids off and head to our years." She looks up to me for confirmation, and I nod. "Okay, well, then today was lovely... well everything after the reaping, and I'm looking forward to a good day tomorrow for the first time in a long time. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning?" I nod again. "Well, goodnight, Gale." And then she does something unexpected again, she, for the second time, leans up on her tiptoes, and gives me a quick kiss. "Just so you know, I'm not the type to say 'I love you' all the time. So don't take it personally."

"Catnip, I've been your friend for years, and now as your boyfriend I can positively say I know you better than anybody, of course I know that. And I won't take any offense, every time you say it it will be just that much more special." She smiles big at me, I said the right thing for sure. "Plus, I'll be saying it enough for the both of us," she mock scowls. "Goodnight, Katniss, I love you." And I place a sweet kiss on her lips before walking back to my house. Today has been a very successful day. I can't wait for school tomorrow to tell everyone she's my girlfriend. And I wonder who will make the most money in the Hob, they've had a pool going for the last couple of years over when/if we would start dating. Whoever picked today or the closest to today won some money, I'll ask Greasy Sae how much tomorrow, surely Katniss and I will go hunting after school and then to the Hob, you know, couple-y things. Killing animals, gutting and skinning them, then trading them for things in the local black market. I love our lives.


	6. Chapter 6

**Katniss**

I watch Gale walk away for a few seconds and then turn around to open my door. Both Prim and my mother are sleeping. And Buttercup is sleeping with Prim on our bed. That presents a problem, I'm going to have to kick him out of bed... or maybe I'll be nice and just move him since I'm in such a good mood. Being in a good mood is such a foreign feeling for me. Yes, I'm usually in a good mood when Gale and I are in the woods. Perhaps Gale was part of the reason for my good mood in the woods. Now that I think back on it, I'm almost sure that he was part of the good mood.

I can always be myself with him in the woods, and mostly myself when we're in either of our houses or the Hob. But we don't want to talk about bad topics like the Capitol and the Games and starvation when people are around to hear. That's what's so great about the woods. And what he said he felt about me, him describing me from his point of view made me feel warm from the inside out, well maybe it started at my cheeks and then from the inside to the rest of the outside. He made me feel like someone who's desirable. And it's not really that I care what I look like, because I don't, but apparently Gale sees through all my... my... nothingness I guess. Because I don't do anything special. Merchant girls waste money on things like make-up to cover up their skin, and it makes them look fake. It make them look like a faded version of some Capitol woman. Because in District 12 people certainly don't dye themselves colors, at least I can be thankful for that. But I think with make-up, why would I need it? My skin is mostly clear, except around the time of my period, usually a get a pimple, I just hate them because they're sore.

I can't wait to see Prim's reaction to mine and Gale's new relationship. I think she'll be very excited. She thinks of Gale as an older brother already. He's very good with kids. And from what I heard from Posy she'll be jumping up and down off the walls. Rory and Vick will probably act like the young boys they are and think it's gross, but even that thought makes me smile.

When I first met Gale in the woods and we started hunting together, he made me feel safe, which I hadn't felt in the woods since my father died. Maybe I need him. But not in a way that I can't still be independent, because I am still independent. Gale knows this and would never try to do anything to change it, and if he did, well I warned him. When I was younger after my father died Gale became my safety net, someone who I could count wholeheartedly on, and I don't think that's changed. Now we're just a little something more.

Okay, Katniss, there _is_ school tomorrow, just like you said, time for bed. I'll dream of Gale, but not _that_ type of dream. Maybe I'll dream of the Seam Kingdom. That would be nice. I take of my boots and pants and change into a big tee-shirt. Feeling nice I move Buttercup, which he still doesn't seem to appreciate even though I haven't thrown him off the bed. He needs an attitude adjustment. He needs a Gale. But being a boy, he needs a girl cat. But he's so ugly he'd probably scare all the girl cats away anyway. I slip under the blankets with Prim with a smile on my face and think how different things will be from now on. Different for the better.

The sun's coming up and there's already a smile on my face, no nightmares. I dreamt of Gale and I hunting, we came across a buck and made a pretty penny for it. I'm up first, as usual, and get dressed. Unfortunately for school I have to wear 'nicer' clothing than my usual hunting attire. So I find a grey dress and slip it over my head, and find some flat black shoes and put them on. There, good enough. Except, since it's my first official day as Gale's girlfriend I decide to put a bit more effort into my look for today. Or make my mother do it. I like the way she put up my hair yesterday, so I'm going to swallow my pride and ask her to do it again this morning, she should be getting up soon.

Speaking of getting up I hear Prim move and yawn and say good morning to that beast of a cat Buttercup. Really the cat should be over me trying to drown it by now. I give it entrails from some of my kills! "Good morning, Prim!" I call over to her.

"Good morning, Katniss," she says in that sweet voice of hers. "You're looking pretty today."

"Why thank you, Prim, you look pretty everyday." I see out of the corner of my eye that my mother is finally rousing. "Mother, could you do my hair like you did yesterday?" I look over to her and see her eyes widen, and then she rubs them, perhaps she thinks she's still sleeping. It does make more sense than me actually asking her for something.

She looks at me with wide eyes for a moment longer, so does Prim, I don't think Prim knows why I would want to do my hair fancy, either. I stare at my mother until she answers, I stare at her like I didn't just ask something completely out of the ordinary. "Sure, Katniss, I would love to, let me just get dressed."

We have about a half a hour before school, so we eat some left over strawberries from yesterday, which are still perfectly fresh, and some rough tessera bread. Because we haven't traded at the Hob or with the baker this morning for good bread. But it fills our bellies well enough. While I'm eating my mother stands behind me and starts picking up sections of my hair and weaving them. I don't know exactly what she does, but the end product looks very nice. I quietly thank her, and she still hasn't seemed to figure out why her oldest daughter is not being snappy with her this early in the morning, or why I even asked for anything from her.

I'm not surprised that my mother and my sister are confused by me asking my mother for help. As far as I know it's only Gale and I that know we're now an official couple. But for all I know he could have told his family. I'm betting he at least told Hazelle, probably not the boys, and probably not Posy yet. I bet he warned his mother to only tell Posy when she was good and awake to handle a three and a half year old excited little girl. Because Posy doesn't go to school yet, she'll be starting preschool next year. It's not really school, it's just coloring, counting to twenty, napping and playing with other kids.

Prim will find out we're together, in about ten minutes, actually. I want it to be a surprise for her. She loves surprises. I also want to talk to Gale about the Hunger Games, it's basically mandatory viewing. In school they even take us out class to give us updates. During lunch they will probably show the Tribute Parade, where they dress all the Tributes up in 'something that represents their district' so District 12 is usually dressed up like coal miners. But one time, that I can remember, they sent our tributes out naked covered in black powder to 'represent coal dust' because who doesn't want to be covered in coal dust?

Prim and my mother will probably either go to the square or go to the Hawthorne's because their house is bigger since they have five family members and we only have three. They even have three bedrooms, well there were only two, but when Gale got old enough he didn't want to share so he and Hazelle agreed to build a wall about halfway in her room so now there's two smaller rooms. Then they have their main room, which is the kitchen and living area, and a small bathroom.

Our house also has two bedrooms, but we get comfort being together. I would rather just have it be me and Prim to be honest, but if she wants my mother for comfort, who am I to deny her? I can't deny her anything. We turned the second bedroom into a room where my mother, and Prim who helps, treats patients. Then we have our main room which is the kitchen and living area and small bathroom. All the houses in the Seam are very similar.

But since my mother and Prim are going to be in the square or the Hawthorne's I thought perhaps that Gale and I could stay at my house, so we could be alone together. Not to do anything, other than maybe kiss a little. But when we are going to have to watch the Games, when the killing starts it will be nice to have someone strong to hold onto. And when there's boring parts maybe we can do some more kissing. I enjoyed kissing very much last night, but I'm not naive enough to know that I'm really good at it, I have a lot to learn and Gale will teach me. I look forward to that. Apparently what I was thinking was on my face because I was wearing a goofy grin and both Prim and my mother were looking at me strangely. School gets out in an other few days then all my days can be filled with loved ones, and not annoying girls from school and boys that apparently stare at me. While I'm thinking there's a knock on the door and Prim jumps out of her chair to get it.

It's Gale with his brothers. "Hi, Gale!" Prim says excitedly.

"Well, hello, Prim, I've come over to escort to lovely girls to school," he looks over to me and smiles. And I get up and go over to him. He looks at me excited, this is our chance to tell Prim and my mother, and his brothers who probably don't care, that we're officially dating. I'm giddy, I don't remember being giddy before, at least after my father died. I'm close to him now, and I step closer, put my hands on his chest, and step on my tiptoes while he leans down to meet me in a short, sweet kiss. We pull away and smile at each other and I hear Prim squeal.

**Gale**  
Well I could get used to that every morning. Perhaps not the squealing, but if I have to deal with the squealing to get a kiss from my Katniss, then it's worth it. "Good morning, Catnip," I say to her.

"Good morning, Gale, are you ready to go to school?"

Hmm, well I don't like school, but going with her on my arm seems like a very good idea. "Yes, I'm ready, let's drop off the kids and head out." We all start walking out the door and down the street. I look at Vick who seems vaguely angry, but then I remember Rory teasing him of having a crush on Katniss, sorry little guy, but I've wanted Katniss for a girlfriend for a very long time, and she's a bit old for you. And Rory is looking at us funny, but not angry or disgusted. And Prim looks like Christmas has come early, she has a huge smile on her face. I bet the only one that will rival it will be Posy's when my mom tells her.

"Umm, can we talked about the fact that you guys kissed? On the lips?!" Prim couldn't contain her excitement.

"Don't worry, Katniss, I'll answer this one," Katniss just looks at me funny. "Well, Primrose, when someone loves someone very much, sometimes it takes them six months to find the courage to tell the person that he loves her. That six months ended yesterday for me, and I told your sister that I loved her more than anything in the world. And she said she loved me back. So here we are today, a honest to goodness couple."

"Aw, I owe Posy two coins. I thought it would take you longer to get the courage."

Katniss looked scandalized, well I wonder what she's going to look like when we head to the Hob, "You, little children bet on mine and Gale's love life?"

"Yes," Prim says like there's no problem at all and Katniss is just being silly. "We all knew it would happen eventually. Except Vick, he didn't think you guys would ever get together, even though I told him, 'Katniss is only truly happy when she's in the woods with Gale.'"

"Well, that's not completely true, Prim, I'm happy when I'm with you," Katniss says looking kind of upset, I know now she think she has been neglecting her sister, which is so far from the opposite.

"No, Katniss, not like that, I know you love me and are happy around me, but you're the most happy with Gale, and that makes me happy, because I like seeing you happy, okay?" Prim says seriously.

"Our little sisters are way too smart," I stage whisper to Katniss.

"That they are," she doesn't even try whispering, it's just a fact.

After about another five minutes of walking and Prim being super excited, and saying that she can't wait to tell everyone, because apparently not only the Hob, and our sisters thought we were going to get together, but the whole of the Seam did, even some of the people from town. We finally drop them off and it's like a weight has been lifted off of Katniss' shoulders, I know the feeling because with all of Prim's talking it made the walk seem at least twice as long. We have another five minutes of walking until we get to our school.

"So I was thinking about the Hunger Games," Katniss starts, and I look at her funny so she quickly elaborates. "About watching them, you know because it's sort of mandatory." So that's what she's getting at. "And I was thinking that my mother and Prim will either watch it at your house because it is bigger than ours or at the square, and even if they watch it at the square they'll all be going together. So I was thinking, maybe we could have some alone time that's not in the woods. I know the Games are most certainly not the most romantic thing in the world, but it would be nice if the Games get especially bloody that I can kind of hold on to you?"

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," I say, because it does, if she wants to be with me when we're being forced to watch something horrible happen and she wants to turn and hold on to me, that must mean she feels safer with me. Which is basically what she said when she said she met me in the woods, she felt safer with me in the woods, because after her father died she had to go alone.

"Okay, good, I was hoping you'd agree. Also, I know today during lunch they are going to make us watch to Tribute Parade. And I was wondering, since you're my boyfriend now and all, if you would sit with me at lunch. I know you don't like Madge too much, but if you could be nice to her it would mean a lot to me."

"It's not that I don't like Madge I just don't like the injustice-" Katniss knows I'm going to start on one of my rants in the middle of town and doesn't want anyone to hear.

"Did I mention during the really boring parts of the Games that we're forced to watch I want to learn how to kiss better?"

My eyes go wide, that's the best thing I've heard today. "You want me to be nice to Madge, okay, I'll be very nice to Madge, and if I don't have anything nice to say I won't say it at all."

"And if you aren't thinking anything nice don't make a mean face, either. She knows what your mean faces look like."

"Okay, be nice to Madge at lunch, if I don't have anything nice to say I won't say it at all, and no mean faces. I told you I'll do anything for you, Catnip."

"You just want kisses, which I don't mind. And lunch is probably going to be a hour today because of the Parade. And we can hold hands... like whenever." She says the last part shyly.

"Well it just so happens that I've been wanting to hold your hand since I saw you this morning. Can I keep holding it until I absolutely have to let go?"

She laughs, "Yes, you can keep holding it, and we can show those bitches who's man you are. You are mine, right?"

"I am 100 percent your's, baby."

"I prefer Catnip, it's special and unique."

"Well it's a good thing I like the name Catnip better as well. I am 100 percent your's, Catnip." She looks up at me and smiles as we walk through the doors. And it seems both girls and boys and glaring. Girls are glaring at Catnip, and the boys are glaring at me, I'm glaring at all of them, and looking down at Katniss lovingly. She doesn't seem affected at all by all the hostile glares. But then I remember she only cares about mine and Madge's opinion, and mostly only mine. Although she did say a girl from town, Delly, was really nice, and even thought that Katniss was nice, which was a surprise for her. Of course it's not surprising to me, I've thought Katniss was nice for a very long time. It took a couple months of knowing her when we were young for her to get to even trust me a little. But then it was friendship, and now it's something more.

I walk her to her first class where Madge is waiting in the doorway looking at our interlocked fingers and smiling. When we get up to her she say, "I always knew it was just a matter of time." Okay, maybe I won't mind as much sitting with her and Katniss at lunch if she approves of our relationship.

I lean down to give Katniss a quick kiss, I know she's not huge on PDA, but handholding, hugs, and pecks are okay. But I don't want to scare her the first day of being my girlfriend so I give her the quick kiss on the cheek. "Have a good first few classes, I'll see you at lunch, I love you, and Madge watch her back for all those jealous bitches." That was the first time I've seen Madge laugh and Katniss looks really happy that I included her friend in the conversation.

"See you at lunch..." she pauses and looks to be deciding something, "I love you, too," Katniss says really quietly. I know she's just saying it quietly because there are so many hostile people around.

**Katniss**

Classes were boring, as always, the only thing that was different were all the question girls, and some boys were asking me. Most of them were annoying, because I didn't know the people and never talked to them. There were questions like: "So how long have you been together?" "When did you get together?" "Is he a good kisser?" "Is he good in bed?" Or statements like: "Oh, my, god, you guys are so cute together." "We knew you guys would get together, didn't we Megan?" Ones from boys: "Do you really like him, because I could be really good to you." Or really annoying ones, these ones mostly from jealous girls: "Are you sure he likes you, because we got together just last month." I was glad at that time that Gale told me he hadn't even kissed another girl in the past seven months. That last comment was made on my way to lunch with Madge, who had kept quiet this morning but promised that she would not ask annoying questions this afternoon.

Just as I was about to turn around to give this evil girl a piece of my mind I saw Gale _right_ behind her, and decided to smirk. Which really confused her. I used my finger to motion her to turn around, and she saw Gale and turned a wonderful shade of white that made me happy. And Gale was mad, really mad.

He looked to me and Madge, "Hello, Catnip, Madge. I just overheard this girl talking to you," he turned an evil glare to the girl. "I don't appreciate _anyone_ talking to my girlfriend like that, especially a liar." If it was possible the girl was paling even further, and a crowd had gathered to see her be humiliated, which was _great_. "I don't even know you, so why are you talking to my girlfriend like that?" He was trying to contain his rage.

The girl stared incredulously, "But you kissed me behind the slag heap before. How can you not remember me?"

Gale looked at her like she was crazy, "I've kissed lots of girls behind the slag heap before. Not one of them were my girlfriends, they were just for fun. And since Katniss and been my best friend for years she knows all about it, but she knows how little I cared about all of those girls. And you just helped me prove it. I don't even know your name... you know thinking back I can hardly remember any of the girls' names. And a month ago? The only girl I've kissed in the last seven months has been Katniss. Because I realized I loved her more than just a best friend and I wanted her to be my everything. So a month ago, huh? Are you sure you haven't just mistaken me for some other guy?"

The girl looked down, she was completely embarrassed, she had turned from pale white to beet red in a course of less than a minute. "Well maybe it wasn't a month ago. But we did kiss behind the slag heap."

"Really?" Gale asked, "What's your name?"

She mumbled something no one could hear, but a boy who was smirking the whole time gave us her name, "Her name's Daphne and she does kiss a lot of boys."

Gale mocked trying to remember, "Oh, I remember you now, _Daphne_, I kissed you before I even knew Katniss, I was 13, and you were 12. Wow, I can't believe how desperate you are to want me back after all these years of not talking to me. Or are you just trying to make Katniss feel bad because a lot of boys like her and not you? They like her without her even trying to do anything, and the boys don't like you even though you put out. If you ever talk bad to or about Katniss again, you'll regret it."

The girl Daphne was bright red and hunched over completely embarrassed, while people around the hallways snickered on their way to lunch. I almost feel badly for her.

I looked up at Gale, "Thank you, Gale, you know I was going to give her a piece of my mind, but I didn't know about all that, I was just going to tell her that you hadn't kissed anyone but me for seven months."

"Well, I know you could have handled it on your own, and I might've handled it better, but it made me feel good to put her in her place. I didn't like her making you feel bad and I certainly don't like people lying about me. Now let's go to lunch and watch that stupid parade."

"Yes, let's. Madge, you don't mind if he sits with us right?" I ask Madge.

"Of course not, and Hawthorne that was pretty badass in the hall. I approve."

We all laugh as we sit down at our table while a couple teachers pull out a few different TVs so everyone can see the Parade. And to my surprise someone else sits down with us, someone who I don't mind. It's Delly, and she's looking really sad. She must feel horrible thinking about Peeta in such a horrible place as the Capitol.

"Hey, Delly, how are you holding up?" I ask her in my most comforting voice.

"Well, I guess as well as I can be given the situation. I just pray every night that Peeta wins and comes home."

I can tell on Gales face that he doesn't think that will happen, but he doesn't say anything, but he's looking at me in question, like, _Why is she sitting here?_ So I whisper in his ear, "Delly has had a big crush on Peeta for a long time. She was the last person to say goodbye to him I think." He gives a sad look. And then all the TVs turn on at once and the Parade starts. Gale puts his arm around my shoulder as we watch.

**Gale**  
I feel bad for that girl Delly, not only because she has a crush on Peeta who will most likely be dying within the next several weeks, but because I know that Peeta has a crush on Katniss, not that that matters because she's with me now, and doesn't even know the baker's boy. He never ever spoke one word to her. And now the Capitol puts all the Tributes who are going to die, except for the one Victor, and dresses them up in ridiculous outfits as they ride around on chariots.

As always Claudius Templesmith, Caesar Flickerman and a woman named Samantha Chandler are commentating. And this year Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane is joining them commentating on this year's Parade and Tributes.

The opening music begins. I imagine it's louder there, where they don't have a sound-controlled commentary booth, and we see the huge doors slide open to let the first chariot out. They always go in order, District 1 to District 12. The District 1 chariot pulls out by it's snow-white horses, and the crowd cheers loudly. District 1 is always one of the Capitol's favorites it makes luxury items for the Capitol. And what's the Capitol without it's luxury items? The Tributes are wearing sparkly outfits as always, they don't usually change something that everyone loves. I start listening to the commentators.

_"And here's District 1! Emerald, who's 17, and Gander, who's 18! What a lovely pair they make! What do you think Seneca?"_ Caesar starts.  
_"Well they are lovely, and we are all waiting to see what scores they will get for the Games, I know I'm looking forward to it, District 1 always seems to do a good job." _ Seneca says.

What they don't say is that Districts 1, 2 and 4 are what we call Career Districts or just Careers, and although it's strictly against the rules to train for the Games before getting chosen, they do, for their whole lives, starting off as kids. And these are the districts who usually have volunteers. As if to make my point Claudius says:

_"Yes, and Gander volunteered, he's very eager to bring glory to his district!"_

Then District 2 pulls out, out of all the districts they have the most Victors. They are always the most vicious. They are dressed in some kind of armor, keeping with their warrior-like image. But their costumes are forgettable in my opinion. People are attracted to sparkles, which is why they never change the type of costumes District 1 wear. I listen back to the commentators.

_"And here's District 2, looking fierce like every year,"_ Claudius says, _"What do you think of the tributes this year, Caesar?"_  
_ "I think what you just said, they look absolutely fierce! Jamie, who's 18 and her district partner Jackel, who's also 18!"_  
_"Well I personally think they'll get high scores, look at their muscles and their fierce faces, I can't wait for the individual appointments to see what these two do. They both volunteered so they must think they can make it all the way!"_ Seneca finishes.

I block out most of the commentary, but just keep track of the names, faces, and ages. Mostly to see if anyone stands out to me. District 3, Technology, has Micra a 14 year old girl, and Aaron a 16 year old boy, both of them don't look like the could do much damage with weapons. District 4, another Career district, but Katniss calls it the least Career out of the Careers because the Capitol likes 1 and 2 better. District 4, Fishery, has Ariel a 16 year old girl, and Jared a 17 year old boy. They are quite a bit smaller than District 1 and 2 but look like they could take care of themselves, and you know if they can't do anything else, they could swim. Most districts don't know how. Katniss taught me in a lake where her father taught her.

District 5, Power, has Amy a 15 year old girl and Burt a 14 year old boy. They don't seem like they will get far. District 6, Transportation, has a little girl named Kate who's only 13, and a tougher-looking 16 year old named Axel. District 7, Lumber, has a 14 year old girl named Holly and a 15 year old boy named Erik, the boy looks like he has strong arm muscles from chopping wood. District 8, Textiles, has a girl named Twill who's 16 and a boy named Tristan who's 17. The girl looks pretty skinny, but her partner looks a little bit tougher. District 9, Grain, has a 14 year old named Farrow, and a 13 year old boy named Millet. Neither of them look like anything much.

District 10, Livestock, has a 14 year old girl named Sammy, and a tougher-looking 17 year old boy named Shep. District 11, Agriculture, who's basically the second poorest to our district, but it's also the biggest and most populated. They have a small 13 year old girl name Rose, and a big, 18 year old boy named Perry, he might have a chance. Then comes our district. I decide to listen to the commentators to see what they think.

_"And here comes District 12! The tributes this year are Beth, a 17 year old, well, she's pretty, isn't she? And Peeta, a 15 year old, looks like he has some muscle for a tribute from District 12!" _ Says Caesar, he always tries to bring out the best in the tributes, something I grudgingly have to admire.  
_"District 12 tributes don't usually get high training scores, but perhaps this year it'll be different, I guess we'll have to wait and see."_ Seneca says.  
_"Well that was this year's Tribute Parade for the 73rd Annual Hunger Games - keep watching all week to see how the Gamemakers will think they will do on the Score Board before they have their private sessions and we really see what they're made of, and of course don't you dare miss the Tribute Interviews at the end of the week with Caesar! We want to get to know about all the Tributes! This is Claudius Templesmith, signing off for myself, Caesar Flickerman, Samantha Chandler, and this year's Head Gamemaker - Seneca Crane!"_

Of course District 12 was put in coal mining suits again, because that isn't overdone at all. When the parade was over everyone went back to finishing their lunch. Katniss and I had to turn back around on our bench, and I put my left hand on her leg and squeezed, she looked up at me and smiled. She was looking at Delly who hadn't said anything and said to her, "Well, Delly, they mentioned that he has muscle, that's a good thing, right?"

Delly nodded her head sadly. "He came in second in the school wrestling contest, only second to his older brother, do you think that will help him in the arena?"

He wrestled? That's news to me, but having hand-to-hand training is always a good thing in the arena and I tell her so. She looks gratefully at me. Well it's not like I think he'll win, he'll just have a better chance than about half of them if he's not stupid. But I don't tell her that. Soon enough lunch is over and I have to part with Katniss until after school. I give her hand one last squeeze and I go one way and her and Madge go the other.


	7. Chapter 7

**Katniss**  
"I am so glad that Gale was there when that girl Daphne was talking shit to me. He embarrassed her so bad." I say to Madge. I was really glad Gale had that much ammunition on her. "I don't think many more girls will be bothering me after that," I tell her.

"Yeah, I think he did a pretty good job at warding them off. So, now it's my turn to ask questions about the newest, hottest couple in the school."

"Seriously, Madge? Newest and hottest? You can just ask me questions, I don't mind answering you."

"Okay, then, if you really don't mind," Madge starts.

"When you put it like that you make it sound like you are going to ask the same questions some of the girls were asking," I say worried.

"Don't worry, I know you well enough that you haven't gone any further than kissing. I figured you just started dating last night, since you weren't all handholdy at the reaping. And I know that you would never jump into bed with a guy."

"I'm glad you at least know me well enough, unlike the rest of this stupid school."

She laughs, "Of course, I know we don't talk much but I still know a lot about you. I was just going to start out by asking how you started dating, like, did he ask you out or..."

"Oh, this is a good story. But, I'm only telling you, and probably Prim, although I'm not telling Prim every little thing, so you have to promise to keep it a secret! Oh, I feel like a real girl making you promise to keep a secret."

"Katniss, you are a real girl, a pretty girl, you just don't act like the vapid whores that occupy most of the school's population!"

We both laugh. "Okay, well, after the reaping I told him a story about my life right after my father died, because he was waiting for me at the Justice Building when most everyone else had cleared out, but I wanted to thank Peeta for something that happened a long time ago in case he dies, you know? When my family was starving to death after my father died, my mother didn't do anything, she didn't move or talk... or anything. So I tried to keep me and Prim fed, but then we ran out of food, and I was too scared to go in the woods by myself, so I was looking in trash bins behind the Merchants' houses, my life is super glamorous I know, but there was nothing there. And then Peeta's mom being the wicked witch she was came out screaming at me and telling me she would call the Peacekeepers. But then I noticed Peeta peeked out from behind her, and I didn't know his name because he hung out with the kids from town. But they both went inside while I sat against a tree in the pouring rain, basically waiting to die, when I heard some noises coming from the bakery. And apparently Peeta burnt some bread and his mother was yelling at him to give to the pig because 'no one decent would buy burned bread' and he took off a couple of really burnt parts and gave it to the pig, but then he threw the rest of the loaves to me. And I had warm food for myself and Prim and a little for my mom, I didn't really want to give her any. Anyway, in all these years he's never spoken to me and I've never spoken to him, but I hate feeling like I owe people, so I said thank you to him in the Justice Building.

"I didn't think he remembered me, but Gale said he did because he stared at me all the time, which I didn't believe-"

"He did."

"What?"

"He did stare at you all the time, he probably does like you."

"Well, that's just too bad, isn't it. I said thank you. He never talked to me, and I'm with Gale, and I love Gale very much."

"I know, I'm sorry, I was just saying that Gale was right, Peeta likes you."

"Poor Delly, well since I don't and won't return his feelings maybe he will come to like Delly, I mean, if you like someone why don't you ever talk to them? We've all been going to the same school since we were five, for goodness sakes. If you're a ten year old boy, you can be shy. But not for ten whole years. Hell, I think Rory and Prim will get together soon! They talk to each other all the time and act a lot like Gale and I. But where was I? Oh, yes, so I was kind of sad, because I felt weak that I couldn't help my family and Gale knew and he just kind of held my hands and then let me change into something more comfortable before we went over to his house for post-reaping dinner. We have done for the past few years. Anyway, when we got there we found out Rory had got a turkey all by himself, and we talked and laughed all dinner. But then Vick and Rory went to bed, and Prim and my mother went home, and I stayed to help Hazelle clean up, and we talked a bit, she hinted at Gale liking me, but I wasn't sure, you know?

"After I was done helping her wash the dishes I asked if I could spy in on the bedtime story that Gale was telling to Posy, and Hazelle said I could, but I should be quiet and just peek in the doorway if I didn't want Gale to change the story, because apparently she knew something I didn't. It was a fairytale, with a Kingdom called the Seam. And there was a King and Queen, a Prince named Romeo and three princesses that the King and Queen decided to name all after flowers, Princess Posy was the youngest, and then there was Princess Primrose. And Gale described how pretty the princesses were, but when he got to 'Princess Katniss' he got carried away. And he said that she was sad because her parents wanted her to get married and even Princess Posy's powers couldn't help.

"And at that point, was one of the many time Posy interrupted Gale. She said, 'how come I can't help her, and did you make her the prettiest princess because you love her?' And I thought it was just her three and a half year old mind making stuff up until Gale said, 'Posy that was supposed to be our secret! And I said the princess were pretty in different ways!' But when Gale described all the princesses he was kind of vague until he got to me, 'Princess Katniss'. He said that Posy was dressed in purple with a tiara with pretty purple stones and diamonds, and that Princess Primrose was dressed in sapphire blue with a tiara made of diamonds and sapphires. But when he got to me he said my dress was orange and red and looked like fire, and my tiara was full of diamonds but all kinds of other stone in red and orange and yellow - all the colors of fire. And Posy said that fire was the hottest and she'd heard boys say that girls they thought were pretty and beautiful were 'hot'. To which Gale replied that she was too smart for her own good. And then she asked if he was going to tell me he loved me, and he said that he was going to after he finished her bedtime story and had been planning to for a while. And the Posy asked if he was going to tell me that he dreamed about me, and he didn't know what she was talking about and she told him that sometimes when she got up to go to the bathroom she heard him making noises in his room when he was sleeping and saying 'Katniss, oh, Katniss, you feel so good, I love you so much.'"

"Oh, my, god, his little sister was hearing his wet dreams about you? This is too good."

"Yeah, well to me I could hardly keep myself from either laughing or crying, so when his story was over, and it was a wonderful story, by the way, Hazelle tapped me on the shoulder because I guess I was just thinking too hard and was staring at them so I went to sit down at the kitchen table and waited for Gale because he said he was going to walk me home. Which I think was all part of his plan. Oh, and he started off really awkward, and he was embarrassed because he had be practicing what he was going to say in his head. And he starts off, 'So how long have we've known each other now?' or something like that and I give him the answer because I know exactly how long we've known each other, and I let him flounder around for a couple more minutes because I found it funny that 'ladies man' Gale Hawthorne was having trouble talking to his best friend. But that's what I think the problem was, he didn't want to ruin our friendship. But then I let on that I heard what Posy said about loving me. And he said the most beautiful things, ever, Madge. He asked me if I wanted to know what he loved about me, and he listed everything inside and out. At one point I was actually crying tears of happiness, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. Then we talked a little bit more, I teased him about his dreams. But then I felt bad because he was really embarrassed, and I told him -and if you tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, I'll kill you, just so you know before hand- I told him that I've had one or two of those types of dreams, because I have, but most of my dreams are nightmares, but I told him that in those one or two dreams I dreamt about him. And that made him really happy and he told me the exact minute he knew he loved me more than just a best friend, and we kissed a few times and he walked home and I went to bed happy for once."

Madge looked a little like how I imagine I looked last night besides the slight smirk when I told her about our dreams. And she said, "If what he said made you of all people cry tears of happiness I wish that I was a fly on the wall so I could have heard what he said," she was smiling really big and grabbed me into a big hug, which was mostly one-sided, I truly felt like a girl. "I'm so happy for you, Katniss, you really deserve it."

When she let go of me I thought I couldn't have picked a better girlfriend ever. And so I tell her so, "Madge, you know you're my best girlfriend in the world, right?"

Cockily she nods, "Yeah, I know, just like you're mine." And we smiled at each other and by that time class was just ending and school was being let out.

"Don't tell Gale I told you everything," I say, I know Gale doesn't like to show his romantic side too much so I don't want it getting around.

"You know I won't, I promised."

"Okay, good, well Gale and I are going out hunting, we want to get extra squirrels for the baker because he always gives us the better part of the trade, and he likes squirrels, and Peeta's in the Games, so we thought we'd do something nice, I'll try to get some strawberries for you and your dad if I remember."

"That would be great. Well, there's your Gale, hopefully I'll see you later, but if not I'll see you tomorrow. Last day of school!"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot! More hunting time!" I basically say to myself, "Bye, Madge!"

"Bye!"

**Gale**  
Today was the start of the rest of my life with Katniss. Although there had been some backlash from jealous girls mostly, the guys just glared at me because Katniss wanted me instead of any of them. But it was nothing I couldn't handle. Right now I'm waiting for Katniss to walk out the school doors. And I spot her having a whispered conversation with Madge, then talking normally again and saying goodbye. I wonder what the whispering was about. She probably told Madge how we got together. Madge is her only friend and I knows she trusts her so I trust her too. It must be hard-wired into girls to talk about boys they're dating, and Katniss must have had a lot to catch up on since she's never dated anyone before.

She looks up and sees me and smiles. I swear I will never tire of seeing her smile. "Did you realize the last day of school is tomorrow?" she asks me.

No, I guess I hadn't realized I was too worked up about asking her out, so I tell her, "Nope, I hadn't realized it. Is it because of the Games? We usually have a couple more weeks of school."

"Yeah, it's probably because of the Games but I'm not complaining! I thought we could do a hunting trip. Especially trying to find squirrels for the baker. It probably wasn't the best site to see, his son in a skimpy coal miner's uniform."

"I would never want to see my kids in that," and I notice a panicked look in her eyes before she can cover it up. I had meant us having kids one day, but I can lie. "I meant the kids, you know, Posy, Prim, Rory, and Vick."

The relief is obvious, I really hope she changes her mind about kids one day. "Oh, of course, sorry I was just being silly."

"It's fine, Catnip, really," I say. "So do you want to head home and get changed and I'll do the same and we'll meet at the fence?"

"That sounds great, just don't take too long, pretty boy."

I scoff and act offended, "Pretty boy, why I never!" She laughs again and it's the best sound in the world. "I'll see you in about 20, Catnip?"

"Yep, 20 minutes sounds like plenty of time to get changed and get over there, see you soon." And she leans up and pecks me on the mouth, I guess she does like kissing. That makes me one happy guy. She walked one way home and I decided to take a shortcut maybe if I got to the Meadow before her I could scrounge up some wildflowers for a bouquet. I hop a fence and then another into my backyard. I go in through the backdoor and see my mom cleaning clothes and Posy playing on the floor. My mom looks at me and smiles and Posy notices me and starts jumping up and down.

"You told Katniss you loved her last night, like you said you would! I thought you were lying because you were afraid to tell her! But you did tell her, and you guys will get married and she can be my sister for real!"

My mom looks over and gives me a smile while rolling her eyes, she's apparently had to deal with this for most of the day. Well it is big news. "Yes, Posy, didn't I tell you I would tell her?" I look over at my mom, "Katniss and I are going hunting, mainly for squirrels for the baker. But I want to get to the Meadow early to wait for her."

"To pick her flowers, you mean?"

Damn my mom was good. "Yes, ma', to pick her flowers, is that a crime?"

"Of course not, honey," she dries her hands while walking over to me to give me a kiss on the cheek. "I think it's very sweet. And you know what else I think would be very sweet?"

"You think lots of things are sweet, ma'," I say as I head to my room to get changed.

She continues the conversation in a louder voice so it would carry through the house. "I think that one of these days - soon - that you should share some of your father's books with her. I'm sure you would enjoy reading to each other, on that secret rock of yours'? I know I loved it when you're father would read to me, and he enjoyed it when I read to him to. He would put his head in my lap and close his eyes and just listen. I would do the same when he would read to me. I think you would like to have Katniss' head resting on your lap, am I right?" I nod and realize she can't see me.

"Yes," I say.

"Just be careful with the books they are very, very old, and even more precious. Let me know before you take one, please."

"Of course, ma', that sounds like a great idea," I say as I finish tying up my boot. "Maybe I'll surprise her with a picnic on Saturday, today's Thursday, right? It'll give me enough time to choose a good book."

"I think you should read her _Romeo and Juliet_ it's the most romantic love story of all time, or at least that's what they said when books were commonplace."

"I don't know how much Katniss would like a romance story, ma'," I say, because I really don't know.

"Just try reading it to her for me. And I know the words they use are a little weird, because it's so old, but you know what the book is talking about and you can teach her like your father and I taught you. You said Katniss likes learning new things, right?"

"Yeah, she does. Okay, I'll have a surprise picnic with her on Saturday and bring the book then, advanced warning, how's that?" I say cheekily.

"Oh, you! Well you go have fun with Katniss and I hope you find some flowers for her! Love you, Gale!"

"Love you too, ma', and you too, Posy, I'll be back late probably." I leave out the front door and jog at a steady pace until I get to the Meadow. Good, Katniss isn't here yet, time for flowers. Katniss taught me all kinds of different flowers. I pick some wild daisies, and black-eyed susans, coneflowers, columbines, ironweed, meadow rose, lance leaf, compass plant and some more that I've forgotten the names of, or Katniss hasn't told me the names of. It's a pretty big bunch of flowers by the time I'm done, filled with all sorts of colors, I hope she likes them. Then I see her jogging over to me with a smile on her face and then she sees the flowers I've picked her and her smile gets even bigger.

"If you keep treating me this good I'll turn into a girly-girl," she jokes.

"Now, Catnip, you and I both know that's never going to happen." Then we both laugh, I hold out my hand, "Shall we?"

"We shall," she says back, with her right hand in my left and her left holding the bunch of flowers. She looks down at them, "They're really pretty, Gale, thank you. I'll have to let them soak in that tiny pond, you know the one that's closest? So they don't die, and I'll bring them home and put them in water. I bet we could even get a few water fowl if we play our cards right."

"Yeah, I think we will."

**Katniss**  
Since I had both of my hands occupied, one with Gale's hand and the other with the flowers he gave me I had to swing my game bag over my shoulder. I see he's holding his in his right hand. We get to the bushes that are hide the hole in the fence and Gale says he'll go first so I can pass him my flowers once he's through. It seems like a good enough plan as any, so I let him go first. It takes him a second because he's so much bigger than I am, I idly think that maybe we can try to open this part of the fence more. Once he's through he tells me because he said that I looked like I was thinking to hard. I pass him the flowers and get on my belly and crawl through the opening.

"Yeah, well that 'thinking' I was doing was for you, Gale," I say as I take back my flowers and start heading the way to the small pond.

"Oh, yeah? What were you thinking about?"

"I was just thinking how hard it must be for you to get under the fence, because it's a little tough for me and I'm a lot smaller than you. And I was thinking maybe we could loosen up the fence a little more, and/or dig a little bit under it so you'll fit better, and both of our game bags would fit better as well."

"I guess thinking pays off," Gale jokes. "Seriously that's a good idea, Catnip, thanks for thinking of me."

"Of course," I say when I come to a hollowed log where I keep one of my bows and get it with a sheath of arrows out. "Gale, you can hold my flowers until we get to the pond, we both know I'm the better shot."

Gale sighs dramatically, "The things I do for love." After he says that he silently takes my flowers and we go into hunting mode, moving silently through the woods for the about five minute walk to the small pond. I spot two ducks and a loon. I've had my arrow ready since I took it out of the log, I string my arrow back and let it fly, hitting one of the ducks, I'm so fast the other duck didn't know what was coming until there was an arrow in it. And the loon can duck under water, but has to come up eventually, so we wait it out a minute, and when it comes up I shoot it too.

"It's a good thing they were so close to shore," Gale comments, as he hands me my flowers back. He only has to wade about a foot in the water to get the ducks and lean over a couple feet to get the loon, it's easy to grab from my arrow. "Nice shooting."

"Nice gathering," I smile and kneel down to put the ends of my flowers in the water and use a medium weight stick to hold them in place. "You know this pond isn't too deep anyway, it would only go up to your waist, and it's warm out."

"Are you trying to get me out of my clothes already, Katniss? I don't want them to get all wet."

I blush, I hadn't really thought of what I was saying, I guess. I sit down near the pond and Gale comes and sits next to me, he hands me one of the ducks so I can pull the arrow out of it. He pulls the arrows out of the other duck and the loon, and hands the arrows to me before taking my duck and putting it in his game bag. I take the arrows to the pond and wash off the little bit of blood that's on them and put them back into my sheath.

"Okay, Gale, now let's go hunt the most dangerous game."

He plays along, looking scared, "And-and what's that, Katniss?" Wow the stuttering was a nice touch.

"The dreaded squirrel." I say seriously. And it gets the laugh I want out of him. "Okay, lets go and get another bow for you, and you set your snares, because you know I can't do them well, and we'll hunt for squirrels." We get started.

It's funny that when you seem to be hunting after only one thing that it seems like it doesn't show up as often. But even so I've already gotten four squirrels and Gale's gotten three, and we haven't even checked the snares yet, we agree on hunting anything for the next half a hour, because we do have to feed our families too. And then I remember that I wanted to get some strawberries for Madge.

"Hey, Gale," I whisper trying not to scare off any game, "while you check and reset your snares would you mind if I went and got some more strawberries? I told Madge that I would try to remember, and I did remember so I don't want to break my promise."

"That sounds fine, Catnip, you know to be careful and keep a arrow ready, you never know what you might come across." During the next half hour I get two more squirrels, and watch as Gale heads toward his snares. So I set off to a slight, but quiet jog, down to our strawberry bush. But when I get there I don't only see a strawberry bush, I see a big, fat, turkey. Since my arrow had been at the ready, I shoot it in less than a second, then I go over and pull out the arrow and throw the huge thing, it was a boy turkey, guy turkeys are bigger than the girls. This monster weighed about 30 pounds, I could not wait to rub it in Gale's face! But before that I had to pick some strawberries, not nearly as many as yesterday morning, especially because I had a considerably heavier game bag. I picked about a quart of strawberries for Madge and her dad, I don't really ever get to see her mom.

After about 15 minutes of lugging my game bag, I came across Gale and smiled at me holding up three more squirrels and two juicy rabbits. Then he noticed how big my bag was. "What did you shoot, a bear?"

I plop my bag on the ground and pull out the biggest turkey either of us had ever gotten. His eyes got huge. "Is that thing even real?" He asked.

"Yes, see for yourself, I was as shocked as you are, but it was shoot first and ask if it was real later." I hand it over to him.

"This thing must weigh 30 pounds! Katniss, this is amazing!"

"I know, I've never seen one this big besides already plucked at the butchers! We're going to have a lot of feathers to pull. We could probably make a feather pillow with all the birds we've gotten today!"

"Well it would be your feather pillow, Katniss, I didn't shoot any of these birds. And you're lucky I brought my own foraging bag today, we can start plucking feathers at our rock."

"Good idea," I say. We head back, on our way putting our bows and arrows back, and walk about a half hour to our rock. Gale who was still being gentlemanly carried my heavier game bag. "We should cook the turkey tonight and have another family meal together, Everdeens and Hawthornes," I say. "I don't want you to have to give this to Cray, no matter how much he likes turkey, he wouldn't give us a fair price. And I wouldn't say no to the butcher, but it would be so nice to have another family dinner like we did last night. It was so much fun."

"I agree. Family dinner it is. Now, let's start plucking!"

I smile, then frown, "Oh, no, I forgot my flowers. You start, I'm going to run over there and get them and come right back."

"Okay, but please hurry, there are a hell of a lot of feathers here."

I ran at a fast and steady pace, I can go faster, actually a lot faster, but the way I'm built I can do fast sprints, but I get tired quickly if I do, so if I would have sprinted to the pond I would have probably had to walk back. Running at a steady pace gives me better time. I get back in about seven minutes, our rock is a little way to the side, if I was just running back to the fence it would have been quicker. Gale has most of one duck done already, I walk up to our rock set my flowers down carefully and start on the second duck. We sit in companionable silence for a while.

"I want to take you on a picnic on Saturday," Gale says.

I was surprised, does that count as a 'real' date? "A picnic," I ask, "where?"

"Well the most special place in the world of course," he answers, "right here."

"A picnic at our rock?"

"Well if you don't want to it's fine, I mean, I was just trying to do something out of the ordinary..."

"Gale, Gale, calm down, I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I was just wondering if it counted as an official date?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," he said pausing, "but I have now, and yes, it would be a real date."

"I think that would be wonderful. And after the date we can go home and see the training scores, I want to see how District 12 weighs in this year." I say. I mostly want to see Peeta's score to see if his dad will be more or less upset afterward, it was harder just picking off squirrels than one would think. After about a we were done plucking the feathers, we had to work on the turkey together, and our fingers are sore after doing the repetitive motion for so long. We put everything back in our bags and just sit next to each other on our rock. Then Gale pulls me in close to his side.

It's extremely comfortable. I'm nice and small and curl up perfectly to his size, and I think he notices too because he says, "You and me fit so perfect together, just look. I've never been more comfortable and at ease in my life, Katniss. I'm so glad you agreed to be with me."

"I am too," I say, "the only thing I was worried about was if or how it would affect our friendship, because I would never want to lose that."

"I thought over the same thing too, Katniss, I was worried, but then I thought, if we never try, we'll never know. And I thought it could make our relationship better. And I think that I'm right."

"You are. But, Gale, I know you've been with lots of girls, and they're all experienced, not at hunting, but, you know, at other things, and I heard girls talking about it in school, and I just don't want you to be disappointed in me, or regret dating me."

"Katniss, despite what the school thinks I've only even been with two girls. I've fooled around, yeah, but I told you last night, none of them ever meant anything to me. And you mean everything to me. You can learn to 'do things' as you put it. But they can't learn how to be like you, and that's the part about you I like the most. Plus I think teaching you will be fun," he said to me with a wink. I knew he wasn't joking about the first part though, and that made me happy.

"You really wouldn't mind teaching me?" I ask

"Not at all, in fact, I think it will be my pleasure."

"Can I start learning a little now?" I am trying so hard to be brave. That's my mantra, 'Be brave, be brave. Gale would never do anything you wouldn't want to do. I trust Gale with my life.'

"Are _you_ sure Katniss? I don't want you moving too fast for yourself just to try to make me happy." He's so sincere and that seals my resolve.

"I'm positive. We can just start taking it slow, right?"

"Of course, you set the pace." He moved the game bags to the top of the rock and used the one filled with feathers sort of like a pillow for our heads. He laid us down facing each other, but with space in between us so I wouldn't feel to uncomfortable. And we were looking at each other in the eyes. His held so much tenderness and love I felt like I was going to cry again, I don't know what's come over me. I guess it's because I haven't had anyone but Prim, since my father died, that loved me. Well I suppose my mother _does_ love me, but she's lost all my trust in her. I have put all my trust in Gale and Prim.

He looks at me and puts his hand on the side of my waist, it feels nice and warm. Then he leans his head down, and has his face just a breath away from mine. "Are you sure?" he asks again.

"Yes," I whisper. And his lips are on mine. And I remember from last night you are supposed to move them a little, but I let him show me how. Our eyes are closed and our lips are together, and I feel warm inside. I move over closer to him so our bodies are touching and hear moans against my mouth and it makes me feel excited. His hand that was resting on my said is now around my back holding me closer and my neck is practically using his other arm for a pillow around my neck and he's holding it around the back of my neck, again pressing me closer. But it doesn't scare me. It feels so nice, and so warm.

As we continue kissing he moves his mouth a little more and then sticks out his tongue, which at first I find funny, but then just find it amazing, and he traces it around my lips, which causes me to moan opening my mouth. And while I've heard girls talk about it at school before it could never prepare me for what a real 'french kiss' feels like. Our tongues were touching, and when I was younger I thought, 'who would want to do that? that's gross'. But it's so not gross. His tongue was moving against mine and I felt a heat in my lower belly. I moaned into Gales mouth and moved my body even closer to his, I was basically on top of him now. He didn't seem to mind one bit, the opposite actually. I kept kissing him and ended up threading my fingers through his silky hair.

I think he was jealous of my fingers, because I felt the band that held my braid together come off and one of his hands undoing my braid and then threading both of his hands through my hair and moving his fingers against my scalp. It felt wonderful. He moved from my hair to rub up and down my back, while I kept one hand in his hair and brought the other down to his neck and collarbone. He groaned and then stopped. I was disappointed. Did I do something wrong? After a couple minutes of me and Gale heavily breathing Gale finally opened his eyes. They were half-lidded. It was like he could read my insecurity about not being good enough because he brought my head down and kissed me deeply, but quickly again.

**Gale**  
"Katniss, you think you did something wrong, or you weren't good enough?" I asked her incredibly. She looked down and nodded shyly, so I just had to kiss her again, but a quick peck this time. "Katniss if we had continued it would have been incredibly hard for me to stop. That was so amazing, Katniss. You were amazing, a natural. And you know my dreams?" It's almost like we could joke about them now because she knew about them and knew they stared her. "That's how they start out. But in my dreams I get to finish. And I do not want to move too fast, even if it feels really good, okay?" She nods less shyly this time, actually the vixen has a little smirk on her face. "I want you to know that just being you is much more important to me than fooling around or sex. But we can do things like that eventually if you want," I wink at her, I know she knows I'm telling the truth and trying to make her feel more at ease.

The way she reacted to the kiss was amazing, practically lying on top of me, running her fingers through my hair, which reminds me I messed her's up. Whoops. Her hair was as silky as I imagined it. Then her running her hand along my collarbone, that's when I had to stop, that's when I knew we were going too far for the first time. God, I can't wait to finally be with her, but I know that might take some time no matter how much she enjoys kissing, and that's alright with me, because Katniss Everdeen is a girl worth waiting for.

"So what do you say about bringing some squirrels to the baker's?" I ask. I get the game bag and we separate everything out, things for home and things for trading. We got 12 squirrels in all, definitely a squirrel record, two rabbits, two ducks, a loon, and that monstrous turkey that Katniss shot. We decide for each of our families two have two squirrels, and each have a duck, while we trade the rabbits and the loon at the Hob and trade 8 squirrels with the baker, giving us at least two loaves of good bakery bread.

"I need to go herb-hunting tomorrow, will you come with me then too, Gale? I know you don't know them as good as I do, but I can still try to teach you more so if I can't go out you can."

"I would love to go herb-hunting with you tomorrow, Catnip. After school again?" She nods. "Right, then. And I've been thinking that I can teach you something besides kissing, as well."

"Really?" She sounds excited, she does love learning stuff. "What are you going to teach me?"

"Well it's a surprise, silly. Now, let's go to the Hob first since it's closest, but we'll have to take real care to hide that turkey because everyone will want it." She nods again. "Then we can stop at my house and leave the game we're keeping, and stop by your house to tell your mom and Prim to head to my house for supper again. _Then_ we'll bring the squirrels to the bakery."

"That sounds good, long and tiring, but good," Katniss agrees.

"I'll carry the heavy bag."

"I knew you would," she smiles. "You know, I like this more gentlemanly side to you Gale. Because you're being nice and doing all the heavy work, but you still know I could kick your ass, or beat you at an archery contest any day." She laughs.

"Archery contest, no doubt, but kicking my ass?"

"Was I, or was I not just on top of you. That was just a ploy. I had you pinned to the ground, and you know it," she jokes.

"Yes, I guess you're right. I'll be a good man-servant for you."

"That's all I'm asking for," she says like she's serious.

We weren't holding hands this way because we both had game bags, with the forage bag stuffed with feathers in mine and she had the bouquet I gave to her. So we stopped at the Hob and went straight to Greasy Sae. We show her the rabbits, which both have no marks on them, since they were caught in my snares, and the loon which was shot through the neck. She likes the rabbits because they are both nice and plump at this time of year. I trade for paraffin, but Katniss says she has enough and trades her rabbit for coins, the loon we also trade for paraffin, because you can never have enough candles!

Greasy Sae must notice the bit of change between the two of us, or maybe she notices the thing that I just noticed Katniss forgot to re-braid her hair, and she still had her bouquet in her hands. "It's about damn time you two got together!" She basically screams for the whole Hob to hear and I could hear literally every single conversation stop. And I'm sure Katniss can too, because she's blushing hard. We're somewhat legends here at the Hob because we both started hunting and trading at such a young age after our fathers died. They say we're a lot like them, both in our hunting techniques and our no-nonsense trading. Greasy Sae continues, and I find out I'm right about the pool about us getting together going around. She asks us, "So when did this start? If it started before yesterday than I'm going senile!" She doesn't say this bit as loud as she did the other bit, but you can tell she's excited, and she's actually happy for us, she likes us and 'our attitude and aim'. "Oh, and what a gentleman Gale is, getting you flowers!"

I speak for us because I know that Katniss is too embarrassed to say anything. "Yeah, she's been calling me gentlemanly all today and last night at supper," I say and get a small smile out of Katniss. "Yeah, Sae, we started going out last night."

Cray seems to appear out of nowhere, and I don't like him a whole lot knowing he takes advantage of starving girls and sleeps with them and he only gives them a meager few coins before throwing them back out. I'm glad Katniss was a whole lot smarter than that. Plus, as disgusting as he is I don't think he would sleep with an eleven year old, the only time that Katniss was desperate. But I still don't like him around Katniss, I've seen the looks he's given her even though he won't force himself on her. "Well it seems like you've finally grown the balls to ask her out, huh. Or were you just too sick of sleeping around?"

"First off, _Cray_, I never slept around, yeah, I fooled around but I'm a teenaged boy, and I fooled around with girls my own age, and I didn't have to pay them money to get it." I know I might have gone too far. Not with talking about fooling around, because Katniss knows that, but giving shit to the Head Peacekeeper isn't a good idea as a general rule. Luckily Darius was there to save the day.

"Come on, Cray, you know he was just working on his skills so when he finally got to be with Katniss he could keep her happy," Darius winked at me and I forced a smile, he was trying to help me but I didn't like the way he was going about it. "Plus, you're probably only mad because you didn't win the pool money." Okay, there we go, thank you, Darius.

Katniss' eyes widened and she held her flowers a little tighter and in a tight, squeaky voice asked, "Pool money?"

"Oh, honey, for years folks here around the Hob knew you and Gale here would get together, you were always so close, and yes, we all know you're best friends, but you crossed a line didn't you? You realized you were more than just best friends, and people 'round here can't help but looking for something to bet on, and you were it. You're such a cute couple!" Greasy Sae tells Katniss kindly. Then she shouts, since she's sort of the unofficial leader of the Hob, "Who had yesterday? Or who was the closest to yesterday? Ripper, the chart?"

"Chart?" Katniss asked in that same squeaky voice.

"Uh, it looks like," while she was using her one good hand going down a list to see who won the money, "Rooba, it was Rooba, she guessed the day before yesterday. Seems like she though he'd tell her the day before the Reapings so maybe they could have a day of happiness if one or both of them got reaped, luckily you two didn't get reaped. Do you know how gloomy it would be around here without you two?"

"Thanks... I guess, Ripper. I'm also glad we didn't get reaped. I am also glad that our relationship is so interesting to everyone." Katniss said in a flat voice. "I'm going to want more for that rabbit, Sae. Maybe since everyone here likes pooling they can pool to help you give me five more coins. Entertainment costs money."

The whole Hob laughed. But Katniss was serious, so Ripper threw in two coins, and Darius threw in two so Greasy Sae only had to give up one extra.

"But Rooba doesn't even work at the Hob, she has her Butcher Shop," Katniss says.

"It wasn't just the Hob that was in on the pool," Greasy Sae starts explaining, "It's basically the whole Seam and some of the Merchants, I know a lot of the miners were in on it too. The Hob's just the place to go to make not-so-secret betting pools. Even Goat Man was in on it."

Katniss' eyes widened further than I've seen anyone's eyes widen. She doesn't like the Goat Man. "Goat Man?" She says in disgust. "Well at least Rooba won. Goat Man was going to sell Lady to Rooba, but since we brought her the deer the night before and knew I wanted Lady for Prim's birthday she lied to Goat Man and told him she couldn't even use her for sausage."

"Ready to go, Katniss?" I ask.

"Um, I need to talk to Greasy Sae real quick about something, how about I meet you at my house? When we get to my house we can use my forage bag to put the squirrels in before going to the bakery, does that sound alright?" She asked.

"Of course it does, I'll see you at your house in about, fifteen minutes?"

"Yep, fifteen minutes sounds like plenty of time," she said smiling at me.

"See you soon," I say.

"See you soon," she says but she one ups me by giving me a peck on the lips and apparently some entertainment to the Hob, because many of the people there wolf-whistle, hoot, or clap. Some hoot and clap at the same time. Katniss tells me with her wink after the kiss it was for both of our benefits, she wanted to kiss me, and wanted to kind of make fun of the Hob that we were their source of entertainment. I left for my house with a smile on my lips.


	8. Chapter 8

**Katniss**  
After I had gotten over my embarrassment, somewhat, I decided I could have fun with this. "Okay, okay, calm down, everyone, show's over!" I look over to Greasy Sae, as unofficial leader of the Hob she knows how to get things done, and I've thought of a good thing. A special thing for Gale and I, for our first time. But I have to make this happen first so our first time might not be until next spring. I feel kind of bad, for two reasons, the first one is that I was having so much fun just kissing I wish my plan could be finished before next spring, second I know Gale wants me as much as I want him. Probably more so because he's done it before and knows what it feels like. But I'm set on my plan like a mad woman. "Greasy Sae," I start not really knowing how to explain this, but I know she'll keep a secret if I ask her to. "Greasy Sae, I was wondering, if after you used up the rabbit meat if you could give me the pelts?"

She looked at me questioningly. "In fact, I was wondering, if you don't need them if I could get all the pelts you get. Rabbit, wild dog, anything with fur that you can part with. I'll even pay you for them! Less for the ones I bring in myself, but more for the ones you get from other hunters."

She was still looking at me questioningly, and I knew I had to tell her, so I gestures over to the behind the side of her stand. She nodded her head in understanding and nodded for me to tell her. Now, I look to Greasy Sae as kind of a weird grandmother, so I guess I don't mind telling her this over most other people, especially if I make her keep it a secret. So I start out with that. "First off, I need you to keep this a secret, please," I say in my nicest pleading voice.

"Of course I'll keep a secret for you, honey, as long as you're not killing anyone, or have killed anyone and are telling me the location of the body," she winks. "But then I guess I would keep that secret anyway depending on who the person was."

I give her a real smile. "No, it's nothing like that. You see, when my father was alive," I see her giving me a sympathetic look, which makes it hard for me not to scowl, I don't like people feeling pity for me, but maybe I can use this sympathy for my advantage, "he brought me to this secret place in the woods. It was beautiful there, with a great, big lake, and it had a little 12' by 12' concrete building, with a little fireplace and windows. It's small, but nice, and my father told me that there probably were a lot more of them a long time ago, there's still foundations you can see from other little houses like it, well apparently people went there to go on fishing trips, or something. But when my father would take me there we would swim in the lake and fish and I would play house. Anyway, I haven't been there since before my father died. And I've shown Gale a lot of places in the woods, but never there. But I was thinking, and again, you have to promise me you'll keep this just between us," I press her.

"Just between us, I'm assuming you want to take Gale there?" Greasy Sae asks and is mostly right.

"Yes, I do, but I want to take him there for a _special occasion_, if you know what I mean. Some firsts, the first time I show him my special little house by the lake, I want it to be _my first_, do you understand? And I want all kinds of animal furs to lie down on the floor. And sometime, I'll bring a little two person table with chairs, and we can make a special, tiny little happy vacation out of it. I can bring food, and we can eat in the morning and swim in the lake. And just have a good time?" I end it kind of like a question, even though I assume that Greasy Sae knew what I was talking about after my first hint.

She looks around to make sure no one's looking or listening in to us, and then turns back around to me and leans in and says, "You want your first time with the love of your life to be special, and you know a very special place to you, and you want to make it even more special with some animal furs?" She asks/answers.

"Yes, and I can understand if you can't give me a pelt of a deer, or lynx, or even a bear, if somehow someone gets one. I'm mostly just asking for rabbits and wild dogs." I say kind of shrugging at the end, feeling foolish.

She puts a hand on my shoulder and makes me look up at her, to my surprise she has tears in her eyes, happy tears. "Honey, I will give you every single animal pelt I get. And I will talk to Rooba and tell her to do the same, especially since she won that pool money! I think what you're doing is beautiful, Katniss, and you kids deserve some happiness. Everyone knows that you took over as provider of your family after your father died," and she whispered, "and while no one talks about it out of respect we all know your mother had a breakdown and didn't help you and Prim for a long time. We also know that Gale took over as head of the family at the same time you did, since your fathers died in the same explosion. And he had to help his mother who had just had a baby. It's the least we can do for you two. You two deserve to be happy, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And don't worry I'll keep it a secret, I'll only talk to Rooba about animal pelts. Now you know where I live, don't you?" I nod. "Well I keep them there until you can start to bring them after winter comes and goes and the snows' all gone, how does that sound?"

Now I almost have happy tears in my eyes, and I didn't even mind that the Hob had a not-so-secret betting pool on Gale and I's love lives. Greasy Sae was being so nice. "It sounds wonderful, Sae, I can't thank you enough." And I did something I didn't even expect myself to do, I gave her a great big hug.

"Now go on, honey, you are supposed to meet your man in a couple minutes at your house," she says as I pull away awkwardly.

"Bye!" I say happily, step one of my plan is taken care of. I run out of the Hob waving to a couple people I know, noticing that it took a little longer to talk to Greasy Sae then I had planned, so I jogged to my house just one minute before Gale was supposed to get there and go to the cupboard and grab my forage bag and wait a minute for Gale.

I had had the idea to make our first time special. I wanted it to be somewhere and sometime when we were both comfortable. We have been best friends for so long, each other's hunting partners, and now I realize we weren't just hunting partners we were partners in just about everything, especially now. And I know it had only been a day, but it seemed like we had been dating forever and had just gotten around to kissing, I guess that's what you get when you spend all your time with one another.

So for making our first time together special I wanted to think of a special place. Both of our houses were too crowded and noisy, we could be interrupted at anytime, by any of our family, and I don't know who the worst person to be interrupted by would even be. My mother, Prim, Posy, Rory, Vick. Hazelle would probably be the least awkward but anyone interrupting our first time would be miserable for both of us... actually all of us, Gale and I and the person who walked in on us. So next I thought of our place, our rock. But ruled it out. Way too uncomfortable. Fine for kissing, as I found out today, but not for our first time together. Then I thought of the woods, that's a special place for us. But there are many unknown factors for doing it there. An animal wandering by; distracting. The unlikely, but still could be another hunter; really awkward. Then the general woods. Dirt in places I really don't want dirt in. Pine needles, same thing. Pine twigs with sap getting stuck in my hair.

So the woods, was out. And I just kept thinking. Then it hit me. I haven't been there since the fall before my father was killed, and it was a special spot, that was quite a haul to walk to. So that mean's it's out of the way. There's a concrete little house, with a floor, there might be dirt, pine needles, and pine twigs right now, but when I was little I made a little twig broom to sweep the floor. There was also a fireplace! And then I thought how nice it would feel if we were laying on fur? If we only had enough for like a layer of fur, I could put pine needles underneath for padding. It was the perfect plan, and Greasy Sae just promised to help me. Now the only thing was time. It would take time to get the pelts, and we couldn't do it in the winter it would be way too cold. So it would have to be in mid-April or early-May... My 16th birthday! That would be perfect. It would be special times a million. Oh, my, god I can't wait to be 16. I just know my life will change that year. Not that it's not already changing now.

**Gale**  
I wonder what Katniss had to talk to Greasy Sae about. Probably upcoming trade and less squirrels coming in. Besides the baker we usually trade our squirrels with Sae, and we try to keep the bigger game for ourselves and our families. Katniss probably figured we can get everything done faster if we spilt up. So I'm on my way to my house to drop of the game bag with the meal we will be eating tonight, and will probably have some kind of stew for tomorrow and maybe even the next day as well. Our mothers have found good ways to keep cooked meat good for a few days. Uncooked meat on the other hand, does not last long. I've seen some people in the Games who didn't realize that. Of course there was that one time that Katniss and I were trapped behind the fence because they turned the power on and we were so hungry we ate raw rabbit. Very bad idea. We got rabbit fever and weren't hunting for a good five days, it was not a good time. We had to stretch our food real thin around then.

My mom is going to be gobsmacked when she see the size of the turkey that Katniss shot. Hell, I was gobsmacked. I bet it weighs more than Posy! With that thought I weigh the bag with my arm, knowing there's probably about four or so extra pounds in there. And, yep, the turkey weighs more than little Posy. I hope my mom has enough herbs to add to it, not that turkey's bad tasting itself, but with the right seasoning. Maybe when I get to the Everdeen's I'll ask Katniss' mom if she has anything she can bring over to help my mom with.

When I get home my mom is waiting for me knowing that I went hunting with Katniss for supper, but she'll be surprised to be having dinner with the Everdeens again. When I open the door my mom glances at me, and then does a double-take, which is very funny to see, because she sees how big the bag is. "What did you get a baby deer?" She asks jokingly.

I pull out everything that's in the bag, I put my forage bag somewhere separate because Katniss mentioned something to me by the fence that she could use those feathers for something. And who am I to deny Katniss anything? First I pull out the two squirrels. No surprise there, which is what I'm going for, saving the best for last. Then I pull out the duck. My mother just nods, while eyeing the bag. Then I haul, and I mean I haul, out this huge turkey that Katniss shot. My mom's eyes widen and she puts her hands to her mouth, which is open in shock. Then she laughs, "Is that a Capitol muttation? That thing is _huge_! Where did you find it?"

"I actually didn't find it. Katniss had told her friend Madge, you know the mayor's daughter, who isn't actually all that bad, I sat with Katniss at lunch today and she sits with Madge, so I had to sit with Madge and she was the only one happy for us-"

"Gale, that is a dinnertime story, I was asking about the turkey," my mom smirks.

Wow, I just sounded like a girl. "Katniss said she would get strawberries for her friend, so she said while I checked the snares she would go to the strawberry bush she found a couple years back and get some strawberries. And because I'm worried about her, even though I know she can take care of herself, I told her to have an arrow at the ready, and it was good she did because she took this thing down. I don't know if she even ended up getting strawberries... Anyway, we tried to get most of the feathers off, but as you can tell this thing is huge, so we missed quite a few, could you finish it up? Katniss and I thought it would be fun having another family dinner since this thing is so big."

"Another family dinner sounds wonderful, and yes I will finish cleaning this up for you."

"I'm going over to the Everdeen's now to send them over, I figure Mrs. Everdeen might have some herbs for this baby too."

"That sounds lovely," my mom said already starting to pick off the rest of the feathers. Which reminded me of something.

"Hey, ma', could you put all of the feathers you pluck into my forage bag for me please? Katniss mentioned something about using the feathers for something."

"Sure thing dear, now I'm assuming that Katniss has the rest of the squirrels?"

"Yeah, we decided to keep two each, we're trading the baker eight."

"Well that's good, run along now, you don't want to keep Katniss waiting."

With that I practically bounded out of the front door to walk over to the Everdeens' house. On the way there I saw Mrs. Everdeen and Prim walking toward my house, and Mrs. Everdeen had a little basket of what looked like herbs and spices. Great minds think alike I thought because Katniss had the same idea I did, we've never, ever had a turkey this big and one family might not have enough flavors to put on it.

They stop me quickly on the way. "Is it true that Katniss shot a turkey as big as you?" Prim asked laughing.

"No, not as big as me, but it weighs more than Posy does," I said with a chuckle.

Prim's blue eyes widened she obviously thought since Katniss was already exaggerating the size that it couldn't be too much bigger than the turkeys we normally get. How wrong you are little Primrose, just you wait and see. And that's what I say, "You'll just have to wait and see, me and Katniss couldn't get all the feathers off so that's what my mom's working on right now, I bet she could use your help."

Prim nodded, "Okay, Katniss is waiting for you at our house."

I nod 'goodbye' and head toward the Everdeen house where I would find Katniss. It only took me a couple more minutes to walk there, but maybe that was because I was in a hurry to see Katniss and was almost jogging, I may never know. When I get to their house I see Katniss sitting on the front step with her foraging bag that's full of squirrels and an other little bag which I'm assuming has strawberries in it. She said she wouldn't break a promise. She hears me coming and looks up and smiles and holds up the bag of strawberries apologetically, "Sorry," she says with a smile, "I was so excited about the turkey I forgot to tell you I had gotten the strawberries for Madge too. Do you mind heading over there after we go to the baker's? I'm sure it's going to take our mothers a long time to get that turkey cooked."

"That's fine, when I was at home I remember you had said something about getting strawberries and figured you got them. And you're right about cooking the turkey. I'll bet it'll take a couple hours at least. We could go to our rock and watch the sunset, you know, romantic," I say.

She stands up and laughs, "Yes," she says "that sounds like a very romantic thing to do, we can go and watch the sunset and talk." She looks at me smiling, "But only after our deliveries."

"But, of course, we can't slack off on deliveries no one would buy from us anymore." I say.

"Exactly, we need to keep it up. Otherwise the competition will come in."

We dramatically look around if looking for people to steal our jobs and look back at each other and start laughing. "There's no one else willing to go in the woods," I say. "And no one with your amazing aim. No one with my amazing snare techniques," I say with a hand to my chest and she laughs. "And no one that know all the good hunting and gathering places in the forest." And everything I said is true. No one knows the woods like we do. No one in the district or probably any other district can shoot a squirrel in the eye every single time. There's probably other people that know some snares, but I come up with some of my own design. And no one in District 12 ventures in the woods but us, and sometimes we take our siblings. Oh, yes, I suppose sometimes the real daredevils pick apples during the fall, but _always_ in sight of the fence. We've gone miles into the woods. No one else in our district would do that.

She hands me the bag of squirrels and holds out her free hand for me to hold. And it makes me happy. She's holding my left hand in her right, and we each have bags of things in our other hands walking side by side down the street, what a pair we make.

When we start nearing the Bakery Katniss asks me to look in the front window, "Since you're way taller," she says, to see if the witch is manning the register, only that way can we knock on the back door and either get one of the two other bread brothers or the baker himself. I look and the witch is manning the register, what luck!

"The witch is in the front," I tell Katniss.

"Good," she says. "Let's head around back and knock."

**Katniss**  
I am very glad that the witch of a wife is in the front part of the store. I'm seriously wondering how the hell the baker, Joseph, my mother said his name was, ended up with her. She should be a Peacekeeper from a meaner district. I know we have pretty lenient Peacekeepers. Gale and I could be shot in the head everyday for hunting, but the Peacekeepers want fresh meat too, and guess which is the last district to get fresh meat? That's right, District 12. So the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to almost everything except something like if someone is hurting someone else. Or other bad things. I know we are lucky in that respect.

We finally get around the house to the backdoor and walk up the two stairs to the little landing and Gale knocks. We wait a minute, hearing shuffling inside and what sounds like a metal bowl being put down, and it's the baker. He looks at us and gives us a sad smile. I can't expect more than that. He loves his sons. And his youngest is in the Games.

"We know you like squirrel," I start to say, kind of winging it. Because what do you say to a guy who will probably have to watch his son die a horrible death on national television? "And we know you're grieving right now." I don't say we don't know what you're going through because both Gale and I's fathers died. They didn't even have bodies to bury. And I lost my mom for a long time after that. I still don't feel like I have her back, but I think that's mostly my fault, she seems like she's trying. "You're always are nice to us, giving us bread for one or two squirrels, but we've decided that since you're going through a really hard time that we'd give you more squirrels."

I place my bag of strawberries down on the landing and take the bag of squirrels that Gale hands me. "We have eight squirrels here. One was caught in a snare and the rest were shot - in the head, you know, otherwise the meat isn't as good. As much as we'd like to give them to you for free, because you're nice, and you're having a hard time right now, we worked hard to get extra squirrels for you and we need to feed our families, so we were hoping to get two loaves of bread for the eight squirrels." I say, still feeling awkward for asking something in return, but his family is Merchant, he has plenty of money. He doesn't need to trade for our squirrels, he could get meat from the butcher, Rooba.

He looks sad, but touched by our gesture and he nods his head, "Of course you need to feed your families, I've never questioned that. I'll give you each a big loaf of bread, and if you don't tell anyone I'll give you a bag of cookies too. You gave me a gesture of goodwill and I will give one back to you." He looks at me, "You're Katniss, right?" I nod. "I used to be friends with your mother, you know."

"Yes, she told us last night at supper when I brought up the idea," I say.

He looks even more touched, "It was your idea?" His voice was breaking, it was so emotional I felt like running away, but instead I nod again.

"After Peeta was Reaped, I wanted to tell him something before he left. He saved mine and my sister's lives, you know, when I was eleven. My father had just died and we were starving, and my mother was so depressed she wouldn't move or take care of us, so I tried to. And one day I was looking in the trash bins behind all the merchant houses, trying to look for something that no one else wanted but we needed. But your wife came out and yelled at me to go away, telling me she was sick of Seam brats looking through her trash and she was going to call the Peacekeepers. But then I saw Peeta behind her, I didn't know his name at the time but he went back inside with your wife. And he purposely burned bread and threw it towards me and your wife hit him. He had a black eye the next day in school. He never, ever said a word to me, but him throwing the bread saved me and my sister from starvation. So I wanted to thank him before he left and I did. I don't think he remembered though. He just sat there with his mouth hanging open. But I went in after your family came out and I saw how sad you were in particular, and how his brothers were trying not to cry. And I knew that I had to do something nice for you and that Gale would help me." Then I realized I hadn't introduced Gale, and I didn't know if the baker knew his name or not so I said, "I'm sorry I didn't introduce you, I know you guys trade sometimes, but this is my boyfriend Gale Hawthorne." I saw the baker's face drop just a little bit.

"Well if Peeta comes home he isn't going to be happy that you have a boyfriend..."

At this point Gale seemed like he couldn't contain himself anymore, "I told you he liked you, Katniss, lots of boys like you!" He looked at the baker, "She's oblivious to boys. I had to spell it out that I loved her for her to date me!" He said.

The baker laughed, "Actually I heard your sister say you loved me and then you agreeing. There's a difference."

The baker laughed harder. "Well, you better treat her right, Mr. Hawthorne, you know a lot of boys are just waiting for you to mess up." He smiled.

Gale looked at the baker straight in the eye, "I know, sir. I love her more than anything and will do everything to take care of her. And also keep bringing you squirrels, if you'd like."

The baker laughed again, I was glad our banter could make him happier. "So, it was so large loaves of bread and a bag of cookies for eight perfect squirrels."

I tried to cut in, "We really don't need the cookies, sir."

"But you two deserve them," he said. "It's known all throughout town, even outside of the Seam that you two kids take care of your families. So here you go, inside the bigger bag," the bag he hands to Gale, "are the two loaves of bread, and in this bag," the bag he hands to me, "are a dozen chocolate chip cookies. Thank you very much for thinking of me and my family and for the squirrels, you don't know how much it means to me." He was getting choked up again, so I did something spontaneous and very unlike me, again. I gave him a hug.

I let go after about one second, because it's horribly awkward to me but he's so nice and he really looked like he needed it, I'm pretty sure his wife doesn't give anyone any hugs. "We'll be watching the Games, and hoping for District 12, and I'll personally be voting for Peeta to come home because he saved my life back then. But when he comes home tell him I'm sorry but I'm taken, but I know for a fact that Delly Cartwright is in love with him."

He shook both of our hands and nodded tearfully, "Thank you very much you two. And, Katniss, I'll be sure to tell him about Delly Cartwright." He says with a little smile, and as if on cue, if witch of a wife calls to him from the front of the store.

"Joseph, where are you?! You've been back there ages! What are you doing?!"

The baker hid the squirrels behind a bag of flour and told us, "Thank you, again, but you better get out of here, my wife isn't very nice." And he shut the door so his wife wouldn't see us.

"I feel so bad for him," I say. "His wife must be the most horrible person on the planet."

"Well other than the Capitol, maybe. President Snow." Gale said quietly, but not quietly enough for my taste.

"Gale, I know, but please keep talk like that for our places okay?" I had started to use the codeword 'our places' in public places where Gale and I couldn't speak freely to mean the forest. Even though everyone knows we go there, it's better not to rub it in peoples' faces that we're breaking the law.

**Gale**  
We started walking to the mayor's house to drop off the strawberries Katniss had picked for Madge and her father. I know Katniss hates it when I rant, or say bad things about the Capitol in town. She only stands it to a minimum in our houses or the Hob, unless there are Peacekeepers there. But let's me rant all I want in the woods. And I don't mind really, I'm glad someone will let me do it without telling me to shut the hell up every few seconds. But it just kind of slipped back there when she said that the baker's wife was 'probably the most horrible person on the planet'. And it's not like she's a nice person, quite the opposite, she seems, and acts like a major bitch. But President Snow, the Gamemakers, and lots of people from the Capitol are worse than that. A lot of people from District 2, as well. I've heard rumors that most Peacekeepers are trained in District 2, the Capitol's lapdog.

The baker surprised me a little, I knew he was nice, he always gave us the better end of the trades that we make. But he seemed like a genuinely good guy. They're hard to find. I like how he told me to treat Katniss right, he's not her dad or anything, but our fathers are dead, and Katniss needs all the people she can protecting her from any harm, not like I would harm her in any way. And not like she couldn't protect herself from most anything. I also think that he looks at her and sees Mrs. Everdeen a little, even though they look nothing alike. Maybe they have some of the same facial structure but that's it. Then I think about what he says about if Peeta came home he'd be upset to know that I was Katniss' boyfriend. And two things occur to me. First off, he said "if" for his own son. That's sad. But it's good that he's not doing the whole 'ignorance is bliss' thing. You need to know what could happen so you can prepare for them. Then he admitted that Peeta liked Katniss. Ha! I turn to Katniss, "So Peeta does like you! I was right! Even his dad knew!"

Katniss, who's holding my left hand again with the bag of strawberries in the other - it seems like she likes holding my left hand. Maybe she's more comfortable on that side. She looks at me and rolls her eyes. "Congratulations, Gale, you've won a prize! A kiss. But first you have to answer a question. What does it even matter, I love you, I wouldn't ever love him. You and my family are my everything."

I looked at her with love in my eyes, I know because what she just said was Katniss at her finest. She says she loves me and makes fun of me at the same time. I love her. "Well, I was right," I said lamely, I know it's a pretty pathetic answer, but I can't think of anything else, I'm just happy that I proved her right. Probably not the best thing for a boyfriend to be doing, but I get a kiss as a prize, so it can't be all that bad.

"That's a lame answer, Gale. For that you only get a peck," she leans up as I lean down, our height difference is pretty significant but I don't care in the least. I like feeling big and strong and able to protect her from anything. When our faces are really close together we meet in the middle and she gives me a little bit more than a peck. Apparently she likes kissing me. I knew that already, but it's a really good thing because I like kissing her just as much.

When we kissed we had stopped in the middle of the street with our hands held together, there weren't many people around just a few milling about. But the people who were around us stopped and looked and smiled. It seems like we're the new popular couple in town. Most people in town already like us because we supported our families since such a young age, and I had thought that it was mostly just the Seam and a few select others who knew about that, but I guess more people in town knew, that I didn't know about. Like the baker. They also liked us because we brought in fresh game and greens, too. People thought we were selfless, and we kind of are. But I guess we find comfort in each other, and we can tell each other our problems without the other judging, but with the other helping to solve the problem, if it can be solved, or at least make the situation better. That's another reason I think we're good together. There are about an infinite amount of reasons why I think we're good together, but it would take forever, seriously, to get through them all. Our faces were still close, and we were looking into each others eyes and smiling. And while I don't care a thing about PDA, and a 'little-bit-more-than-a-peck' was hardly bad, Katniss immediately got embarrassed when she saw that people were watching us and blushed and looked down. I felt bad, she didn't have one single thing to be ashamed of. I took her chin in my hand and lifted her head up to look at me, while I was still leaning down slightly. "Katniss," I said in a firm voice, "I know you don't like public displays of affection, but that was hardly anything and you have nothing to be ashamed of. You gave your boyfriend, and best friend of many years a short kiss. A too short kiss, if you ask me," I mumbled which got her to give me a little smile.

"Okay, I'll try to work on being a little less embarrassed, but be patient with me, okay?"

"Katniss, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do, I'm just voicing my opinion, and if you still feel uncomfortable, we'll wait, for as long as you need. I'm not going anywhere. And I won't let you go anywhere, either," I say to her cheekily, she smiles. "Because I love you more than I have loved anyone. And I don't see that changing, I was going to say anytime soon, but the truth is I don't see that changing ever."

Katniss smiled. "Good, me too. Well, I don't see things changing ever and I love you more than I have loved anyone, expect Prim and my father when he was alive. But that's a different sort of love, right?" She asked.

"Yes, that's family love. And it's as strong as true love, but just in a different way, like you said." We started walking again, we were almost to the mayor's house. "And people are looking at us, because we are both so happy, and most people in the district like us, so they like seeing us happy. The jealous girls and guys at school don't like us, or one of us depending on whether it's a guy or girl, that's true, and probably a few people in town that don't like us going in the woods. The baker's witch wife doesn't like us, but we already knew that. And I think Goat Man has held a grudge against us all this time, especially since Lady got better."

She laughed hard at that. "Yeah, I was so glad Rooba was on our side with that. It was the perfect birthday present for Prim. And Lady makes the family money."

"That's all there is to you, huh, Prim and money? Where do I come in?" She laughed again.

"Of course that's not all there is to me." We were walking up to the back door of the mayor's house. "I'll knock," Katniss said.

Madge in the course of about a day was held a higher respect, than she was previously with me. I liked her attitude when she saw Katniss and I walk together in school, and I knew she was there for Katniss if some girl was being mean. I also always thought it was a little weird that Katniss hung out with her at school, because I always thought she would have been a snob. But she seems almost the opposite. She didn't really flaunt her money. Though I still didn't like the gold pin she had worn on Reaping Day, that could feed the district for a while. But when I asked Katniss she told me that Madge had told her that it was a family heirloom. I also liked that Katniss could talk to Madge about 'girl stuff' without embarrassing herself. They are the same, but so different. Apparently they both don't really care 'what's the latest happening' or couples, or anything the other girls care about.

Katniss knocked and it was only a handful of seconds later that Mayor Undersee himself answered the door. He gestured with a wide 'come in' gesture with his hands. "Come in, come in. Madge will be down in just a minute and I know she wants to talk to you."

We looked awkwardly at each other, both of us feeling weird, but walked in. The mayor looked at us and smiled. "Well if it isn't the favorite new couple of District 12!"

We looked at each other again with wide eyes and then looked back to him. "Oh, please," he said, "I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, I just know the both of you for selling me your delicious strawberries, and Katniss I know you even better for being one of Madge's only friends."

"Madge is one of my only friends too. Actually only her and my family. I can only just stand other people, and don't stand even more of them." Katniss said candidly.

I smirked. "You know, I'm starting to like Madge too, Mr Undersee. She was very nice to me and Katniss when we revealed our relationship to the school masses. Everyone else but a girl, Delly Cartwright, right Katniss?" She nodded. "They were all pretty mean. Girls were jealous of Katniss, of course I don't know why," Katniss rolled her eyes. "And the boys were jealous of me, and I know why, because I have the best girlfriend in all of District 12, the best girlfriend in all of Panem!" Then I realized what I said, the mayor had a daughter. "The best girlfriend for me," I say quickly. "Madge is really nice, and I'm sure she'll find someone perfect for her." Katniss and the mayor both smile at me.

"You know," the mayor starts, "being mayor gives me certain privileges, I know you two come from the Seam, but I don't mean money. I know things that happen around the district. And I know what people think of one another. And I'll have you know that it's the district's consensus that you two are some of the strongest young people in the district. I don't just mean weight lifting. I mean the fact that you have both taken care of your families since your fathers died," he must have seen our shocked faces because he continued, "Yes I know about it, and how you both get enough food for both of your families. And you know I don't mind you going out hunting. And if I was asked by someone higher up I would lie for the two of you. And not just because you get my strawberries," he jokes. "I know the game you trade goes to feed a lot of people in the Seam. And I can't thank you enough. I truly wish I could do more to make this district a better place. Where people weren't cold in the winter, where people weren't almost always hungry, and where people starve. I know this happens, and it eats away at me. I can't do anything. The Capitol watches over everything I do. They're the ones who really control everything."

He must have noticed us looking around for hidden cameras or sound recorders, because he looks at us and says, "I knew you two were coming over and I can cut the power to the cameras and recorders for short periods of times, if I don't do it too much they don't get suspicious, they just think it's our 'poor district's unreliable power'. I just wanted to tell you two, that you make a difference in our district, and I'm glad you two finally got together. Don't tell Madge I told you, but she goes on about how Katniss must like Gale even if she doesn't admit it, and how Gale obviously loves Katniss as more than a best friend, but the talk about Gale loving Katniss started months ago."

Katniss is blushing. "That's when I realized that I loved Katniss as more than just a best friend and hunting partner. She was my best friend and partner for everything, hopefully, barring anything happening, for the rest of our lives."

The mayor was smiling. "I'm so happy for you both." At this point Madge is walking down the stairs. "Hello, sweetie, I was just telling Katniss and Gale how much they mean to our district."

Madge smiled. "They mean a whole lot to our district and mean even more to each other," she smirks at us.

"So," the mayor continues, "we're going to have to hurry this up because the power will be coming on in about another ten minutes, and I'm sorry but you'll have to be out of the house by then."

"That's fine we wanted to hang out before supper anyway," Katniss says. "I got you guys some strawberries, but not nearly as many as I'd intended. You see, I went down to the few strawberry bushes, and I saw the biggest turkey I've ever seen in my life, including the ones that Rooba shows at the Butcher's. It must weigh at least thirty pounds. It's huge. Gale said his mother thought it was a Capitol muttation it was so big. So I was concentrating more on that than the strawberries, sorry. The turkey was just so big to lug around! I was by myself because Gale was checking his snares."

Both the mayor's and Madge's eyes got huge at the mention of a turkey so big. "Katniss that is very impressive!" the mayor exclaimed.

She blushed again, but only slightly, she's not used to compliments, but she was more used to getting them on her hunting. "That's my girl," I say and I put my arm around her shoulder and she smiles up at me.

Madge sighs a semi-fake girly sigh and says, "Aw, they're so cute together!"

"Madge," the mayor said, "don't tease, I'm sure they're good for each other."

"I was just joking dad. I know they're good together, and they do make an adorable couple, I'm just saying."

I laugh. Then Katniss realizes that she's still holding the bag of strawberries, and hands them over to the mayor. "Here, you go Mr. Undersee."

And then the mayor shocks us, "You can call me Bruce when no one else is around. You two are both friends with my daughter." He shakes each of our hands and thanks us for the strawberries and tells us to, "keep 'em coming. I'll pay whatever you ask."

"Okay," Katniss says, "See you tomorrow for the last day of school, Madge, we'll have to hang out sometimes over the summer."

"Yeah, definitely," Madge says, "I'll see you both tomorrow. Remember, Gale now that you're dating Katniss you sit with us at lunch."

"Yes, I remember, thank you, Madge, see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Mr. Undersee," Katniss and I say at the same time. We smile at each other and the mayor opens the door for us and lets us out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Katniss**  
"Everyone seems to like us a whole lot more now," I say to Gale.

"Yeah, I know, some of it is surprising even me, but we knew that all the Seam liked us. We just never figured the town. And I think they all knew we would be getting together at one point because we hardly left each other's sides."

"Well they knew we were getting together before I did." I say.

"Before I did, too. But I knew before you. Or at least I really, really hoped that you would say yes." Gale admits.

"Should we check our your house to see if they need any help before going to the Meadow or our spot?"

"Sure, may as well, it's on the way. We don't want our moms to have to do everything, despite how much I just want to be with you right now."

So we head over to Gale's house to find they don't need our help and according to Hazelle, "We don't want too many cooks in the kitchen! Go have fun! It'll be a couple hours more at least!"

We walk a slow pace hand in hand to our rock. Once we get there Gale sits down first, lying on his side, but has his elbow propping up his arm with his head in his hand. He looks very handsome. He takes his other hand and reaches it up to mine, I'm so short that his long arm reaches. He pulls me down with him. Gale and I take off our jackets and put them in a pile to use as a pillow, and Gale flips on his back and wraps his right arm around me, bringing me close to him and having my head rest on his chest. He's so warm and he smells like... Gale. The woods; trees, decaying leaves (which may not sound like they smell good but they do), dirt, various plants that we collect. He also smells faintly of this cologne he uses, his mother bought it for him on his last birthday, I don't know all the smells in it, but it smells good, he only ever uses a little which I like. Because if he uses too much he covers up all his other smells, not just the woods but something that's distinctly 'Gale'. That's my favorite of all the smells, it makes me feel safe, and it reminds me of having fun hunting in the woods.

We are lying there in a comfortable silence when he asks me if I can take my hair out of my braid again because he loved playing with my hair so much earlier. And since it felt so good when he played with my hair I easily agree. I sit up, take off the band that's holding my braid together at the end, and comb my fingers through it. I glance at Gale and he's looking at me happily. I lay my head back down on his chest and the arm he's wrapped around me starts playing with my hair.

I rest the hand I'm not partially lying on, my right hand and rest it over his heart and feel it beating. It's something so simple but so nice. Eventually I decide since he's playing with my hair, which is also letting him rub my scalp, that feels wonderful, and rub my back, which makes me sleepy, I rub his chest and make patterns with my fingers. Write my name, because I am his, and he is mine. We probably stay silent for a whole hour. You can't do that with many people when you're with them unless you're required to. Stay quiet, I mean. Usually if you're with someone you feel the need for idle chatter. When I'm around people most of the time I don't talk, I just listen. I don't particularly like to talk to people. I'm only close with a select few and they're the only ones that I sometimes enjoy talking to. My favorite person to talk to is Gale, and about tied with Gale is Prim. I suppose they are tied. Because I talk to Prim about some things that I don't talk to Gale about and vice versa. And I also like talking to Hazelle, she's been like a mother to me ever since my mother checked out and I met Gale. There was about six months in between where I would only talk to Prim, and a little to Madge. I was still getting used to having a friend. And at that time I was worried that everyone would leave me. Like my father, and like mother. But I do think she's trying to pay for what she did. Not that she really can. Prim and I almost died, you can't just say, 'Whoops, sorry, it won't happen again.' She would have let us die, she wouldn't have gotten up unless I brought food home. Plus I can never fully trust her not to go away again. What if, god forbid, something happen to Prim. Perhaps she has an accident and can't walk anymore, (I cannot even think of something worse than that). What would my mother do, would she treat her like a patient and a daughter, or would she be scared again. I don't know what she would be, I'm the 'bread-winner' in the family. Ugh, I don't like these kinds of thoughts. But I have something on my mind that I want to talk to Gale about, but it won't be a particularly pleasant.

"Gale, you know next reaping will be your last." I say. I don't know what about to say, I just brought it up randomly. Obviously I hope he doesn't end up getting reaped, though I honestly think he could win. But what will he do for work, I really don't want him working in the mines. That's where our fathers died. That's the place that scares me the most. On the yearly school trips that we take down to the mines, I literally make myself sick with worry and my mother won't let me go to school because she thinks I have something like the flu, which is perfectly fine with me. But where else would he work. Could we get by just hunting? He can build stuff, maybe I'll suggest that.

"Yeah, I know, I'm going to have so many slips in the Reaping Ball next time. 63 slips, Katniss. And you'll have 30, I'm going to worry about you as much as you worry about me."

"Well, we've been lucky so far, haven't we, next reaping is your last. And I won't have as many slips as you as I get older because I only get three tessera slips, not five."

"It's still too many. That's one thing I can't protect you from."

"Well we can't worry about something we can't do anything about. Plus, I think if you were in the Games you would win easy. And I'm not just talking as your girlfriend. You're great with snares, good with a bow, and knife. I know you only play wrestle with your brothers, but it's basically the same thing and you're so strong, Gale, so strong."

He looks down at me and smiles, "Thanks for your vote of confidence."

"I'm being serious, I know you would win if you went in."

"Thanks, Catnip."

"But mostly I was thinking about what you're going to do after, you know, for work."

"I always assumed the mines," Gale said solemnly.

"Well, as your girlfriend, I get the privilege to get the final say in what you do. And you're not working in the mines where our fathers died. I won't allow it! I won't lose you too!" I was getting hysterical and I knew it, I started crying. This subject was to me was too much. It always was. And Gale was always there on the anniversary of our fathers' deaths holding me, he knew how much I hated it, and he knew how to comfort me. Gale wrapped me up in his arms and rubbed my back and up and down my arms shushing me, and telling me everything would be alright, and if I didn't want him to work in the mines he wouldn't and he would just have to find something else to do, because he never wanted to see me this way. Oh, god, I love him so much.

I stay wrapped up in his arms and he's resting his head on top of mine. "I'm sorry Gale, I didn't mean to get like that. It was just so hard to lose my father and if I lost you I wouldn't know what to do. Now that I have you, I can't let you go. I think I would do what my mother did when my father died and I would hate myself for it. It's my least favorite place in the world, Gale. I couldn't let you go down there. I would lure you outside the fence, and then sneak back in and have my new friend, Bruce the Mayor turn on the electricity so you couldn't get back inside until the shifts were over and I would do that everyday if it meant you wouldn't have to go down there."

"Wow," Gale says chuckling, "that's what I call dedication."

"Well, it's true I would do that everyday for the rest of our lives if I had to. But I was thinking, you know, you're good at building things, and you're very strong. Maybe you could make furniture to sell. You could make simple, cheap stuff for the people in the Seam, and do fancy stuff for the Merchants and the Mayor. It would be safe, except for the occasional hitting your finger with a hammer." I smile up at him, proud of my idea. "And you're always carving wood out here and just throwing it away. Remember that one time you carved me a flower into the wood for fun? You could do lots of that for headboards and stuff! You just can't throw it away after," I chuckle.

"I like that idea, Catnip. You're pretty smart, you know that? Pretty and smart. I could approach the carpenter and ask him if I can apprentice with him. He's getting old, you know. He's not making as much stuff. I've noticed when I've walked through town. And then if he thinks it's a good idea, and likes my work, I could maybe take over the business in a few years when he gets too old to work."

"I know he'll think it's a good idea because I thought of it," I say haughtily. "Imagine Gale, you working on making beautiful furniture, and I bet you could even make a couple good bows out of that wood and we could teach Rory and Vick how to hunt! A guy from the Seam turned Merchant! Of course, we'd still get most of our own game, I could do the hunting. It wouldn't be the same if we just ate butcher meat."

"Katniss, you know you're talking about a future with me right now. A future that goes on for years." He says gently. And I realize I was, I was imagining us married. Me who hates marriage, married to Gale and owning our own furniture shop in town. And me going hunting while Gale's working so I could bring home supper. It sounds a lot more appealing to me than it used to. It actually sounds like a fool-proof plan. One that I'm looking forward to. I must be going insane. Gale's kisses have turned me crazy. I realize I don't mind being crazy if I get to be with Gale the rest of my life.

Gale must have seen all these emotions pass across my face because he smiles, "You're actually thinking about getting married to me eventually. I never thought I'd see the day. Katniss Everdeen, you don't know how happy you thinking this makes me." His voice is choked with emotion and I look up and he has actual happy tears in his eyes. I smile at him.

"Do you think that in a few years you could start thinking of kids, too?" Gale asked. But that was too far in the future and far, far too scary. One thing I don't think I'll ever be able to actually think about doing. Having kids in the world we live in, even if we end up having a good life. I sit up.

"I'm sorry, Gale, I still can't think about even having kids with the Games."

"But if we were Merchant our kids wouldn't have to take tesserae, they'd be about as safe as they can be."

"Exactly, Gale, as safe _as they can be_. Look at Peeta, his family's Merchant, and wasn't the other girl's, Beth's?" I look at him in the eyes. He looks down.

"I guess you're right about that. But I can still be ecstatic about you wanting to get married in the future, because for the longest time that was a no-go for you." He smiles again, we're obviously dropping talking about kids, which is good. I can tell he just wants to be in a good mood, and me saying that I'll marry him in the future puts him in the best mood I've seen him in in a while. Actually he's seemed pretty happy for the last couple days. Oh. Katniss, you idiot, that's when we started dating. That's why he's happy and that's why you're happy, I tell myself. _And thinking about crazy things like marriage._

"Yes," I say, "You can be very excited about me wanting to marry you. Eventually, remember, I'm only 15!"

"Oh, Catnip, I know that I'm just happy you want to eventually!"

"And do not, under any circumstances tell our mothers. They've probably been planning this since I stopped ignoring you when we were little."

**Gale**  
"You're right, we won't tell them until the time gets closer." But what Katniss could not see was that my fingers were crossed behind my back. I probably won't tell Mrs. Everdeen. But I think I'll just talk to my mom about the eventual possibility. Maybe they could have a super long engagement. It's not uncommon for people to get married even when one or both parties are 16. That's it, a brilliant plan. I'll propose a long engagement on Katniss' 16th birthday. It would be a special birthday to remember.

"Gale, maybe tomorrow, after school, before we change to go looking for greens, we can stop by the furniture shop. Maybe he'll like the idea even more if you say, 'Well, sir, I want to support, the love of my life, I'm going to marry her someday.' And I'll try to look really innocent and girly, I'll even ask my mom to do my hair again!"

"You seriously have the worse mimicking voice of me ever," I chuckle. "Yeah, Catnip, that sounds like a good idea, we'll head over there right after school."

"Oh, my, god, Gale, I've already thought of what we'll name the store when it's ours!"

"Oh, Katniss, I love it when you're this happy, okay, what will we name it."

"'Hawthorne's Home-goods', it's alliteration, it'll make people remember the name better! And maybe by then I _will_ be a Hawthorne!"

"That _is_ a good name, Catnip. And I love the sound of you with my last name. Katniss Hawthorne. When I put a ring on your finger," she looks sharply at me as if reminding me it will be a while from now, "_eventually_," I exaggerate, "the other guys that like you will finally back off and know you're mine for good."

"You make me sound like a piece of meat." Katniss says. She doesn't sound put out, just confused.

"Think of it this way;" I start, "remember that very first deer we ever brought down, and we didn't know to take it to the butcher and we took it to the Hob and people were literally ripping pieces off of it?" She nods. "Well, I'm not saying you're a deer, well you're my dear, you know spelled different," I wink and joke, and she rolls her eyes playfully. "Even though we're dating guys still look at you like if I let you go for even a second they would want to snatch you up," I say. "Now, I know you wouldn't let them, you'd fight them off tooth and nail, but they still want you. And they will still want you until we make them know that we are serious about being with each other. Marriage is the best way to do that. But of course there will still be idiots that stare at you. Well, I can't really blame them, you are gorgeous."

Katniss smiled at me, "I kind of get the idea," she said. And then she looked like she had come up with an idea of her own. "Oh, oh, Gale I know what you need to do and finish for tomorrow!"

I look at her sideways, "What?"

"Get some wood and start carving pretty things into it. We can even bring some back home and you can do things like, flowers, leaves and vines, a tree. And you can even practice writing names, you know some rich people do that when they get married. The kind that can afford a headboard. They have their names put together and the date of the day they got married. And you know what looks cool, I saw you do it a few times, when you carve out the wood, and then burn it just a little to blacken it. But I wouldn't do too much of that because I think you have to buy some special stuff so that the blackened part won't rub off on someone's hands. I bet the carpenter has some. You can start right now," she says excitedly, "Get a small piece of wood and carve me out a katniss flower. You can probably keep it after you show the guy, and I know for a fact that you'd love to give it to me."

"Catnip, you know me too well. That's a good idea. I'll get some wood out here, but I think it'll look more professional if I use like flat boards, I can chop some wood when we get to my house after dinner. Maybe you can stay a while afterwards and be my inspiration," I say trying to sound naughty and goofy. But it flies right over Katniss' head because she's so excited about it.

"Of course I'll stay with you if you think I'll inspire you! I really want you to get that job, Gale," she looks at me kind of sadly but very seriously at the same time. "I will not let you go into the mines. Maybe I can stay over the night! I'll run home before supper and grab nightclothes and clothes for tomorrow for school. And I know for a fact Hazelle can do hair, I've seen what she can do with Posy's and Posy has a lot less hair than I do. I'm sure she'll let me when I tell her my idea! Oh, and I'll have to bring my school things over too."

I think of Katniss sleeping in bed with me and it puts a smile on my face. I think my mom will allow it, she knows we wouldn't do anything to "disrespect her in her house" and we wouldn't. Maybe if my family was out for a while and it was just me and Katniss we could fool around a little, but I still think fooling around is a while away. Not that I mind, I've said it once, and probably a few other times, she's worth waiting for. Although, if she does spend the night a little kissing will be fine, I think.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Catnip. And you know, you are the inspiration for everything I do," I say sincerely. I mean I'm going to work my ass off tonight to get sample ready to show the carpenter. But I'm not just doing it for her, a lot of what I'm doing is for her, but the last thing I wanted to do was work in the mines. I just assumed that's where I'd end up. I'm not afraid like Katniss is of the mines, I most certainly do not like them, at all, but a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do. And I have to keep making money for my family. That will happily eventually include Katniss, I smile.

"Well, what are you sitting around for? Let's go find some good pieces of wood," Katniss says, and I notice she's already up. Apparently she's going to help me find some. "We have about a hour until supper, so let's make it count. We don't have to do a lot of work out here. We want to make it home in time for supper or our moms' will skin us, but we can work into the night. And by 'we' I mean, you can carve, and I can be your inspiration. I'll even char the pieces that we decide to char, so I'm 'not just sitting there looking pretty'." She jokes.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting up." We look around for about fifteen minutes and find some good pieces of wood, some different varieties too. Soft wood and hard wood. I know if I get the job I'll be working mostly with hard wood, but that takes longer to carve so I figure if I fill in some of my sample pieces with soft wood, which takes less time, it'll look like I did more. But I'm also going to be honest about it and said I was thinking about my future the night before and thought that this would be better than the mines. 'Especially because my future wife and I's fathers died in a mining accident. She would never want me to go down there, it scares the life out of her.' And all that's true. I'm starting to really get excited about Katniss' career idea for myself. I picked me one smart girl.

We meet up back at our rock and I notice she's gotten basically the same things I've gotten, which is good. Great minds think alike. Sometimes I think we were actually born to be with each other because we can understand each other better sometimes than we can understand ourselves. Like Katniss thinking of a good job for me so I hopefully won't have to work in the mines. She's perfect, and she's mine, and I'm hers. Life's good.


	10. Chapter 10

**Gale**  
Katniss always kept a couple knives wrapped up with her bows and arrows, she says, "You never know what's going to happen." But I guess that's good today because she's gotten a knife for herself, I already had one, as I always do, and she was lightly tracing pretty patterns of vines and vines with leaves and flowers on the wood, it was real help. After about a half a hour of sitting at our rock and her tracing the light design lines and me starting a few simple carvings be decided to pack up our wood and haul our asses to my house before we were late for supper. Katniss didn't even go and put her knife back not wanting to waste time.

But we made it to my house in plenty of time, but since we came in with small armfuls of wood, the small armful looked a whole lot smaller in my arms than it did Katniss', my mom raised an eyebrow. I was going to explain but Katniss was still so excited and beat me to it.

"Hazelle," she all but shouted, "I've thought of the most wonderful idea for Gale, but you're going to have to wait for supper until I tell you!" Then she had a blank look cross her eyes, her 'I just realized I'm really hungry look'. "Is dinner ready yet?"

My mom laughed, she always loved Katniss, "Yes Katniss it's ready. Why don't you two leave those piles of wood by the door and round up the kids, and then rinse your hands before we eat." We both nod, and put down the piles of wood and get the kids who were all packed into the bedroom. Rory was sitting with Prim, really closely, Katniss was right about him having a crush on her, but Prim had a little crush on him too. They were going to get together much sooner than we did. Vick was being a good big brother and playing 'tea time' with Posy. I admired the fake smile on his face, it almost looked real. "That huge turkey Katniss shot is ready for supper you guys!" I yelled. They all looked up, looked at each other and started scrambling toward the door. It _did_ smell awfully good. Katniss and I went into the small bathroom and rinsed our hands off and grinned at each other. I could just tell by the look in her eyes that she was so happy that she thought of a better job for me. When I thought the mines were my only option I knew it would be hell for Katniss, even before we started dating, she really hated the mines and were only associated with bad thoughts for her. Her father dying, her mother mentally leaving her and Prim, almost starving to death, and I'm sure even more. I knew she still missed her father all the time. We headed into the kitchen and found that we were seated at the same places we were last night. Not that I minded, I was next to Katniss.

My mother had already filled everyone's plates but said that if anyone wanted more turkey to go in for seconds. Seconds. That is not a word you hear very often at all in our houses regarding food. It was amazing, and it was all because of the monstrous turkey that Katniss shot. So I went ahead and thanked her. "Thanks for shooting this huge turkey, Catnip, we hardly ever get seconds." Everyone else at the table soon followed and Katniss _did_ start to blush at that point. The kids didn't even know that we had surprise cookies for them for dessert. "Leave a little room in your bellies, you guys, because Katniss and I got another surprise for you." Katniss' eyes flashed with confusion for just a second until she remembered the generous baker and she smiled and winked at the kids. It was an understatement to say they were excited. And we wouldn't waste any of the turkey. Any left over, which would be a lot, it seems, would go into tasty stews. We never let anything go to waste at our houses. All the houses in the Seam don't let anything go to waste, it wasn't just us, but most of the houses in the Seam almost never had leftovers, most of the time most of them went to bed hungry, we were lucky.

"So, Katniss, what was this wonderful idea you had for Gale and what does it do with those piles of wood?" My mom eyed the piles of wood by the door curiously.

"Oh, well when we were out, my mind started to wander. And I knew that next year will be Gale's last Reaping, but then he would have to get a job. And I asked him what he thought he would do, and he said that he assumed he would work in the mines. And I got angry, because I couldn't let Gale work in the mines and possibly get hurt. So I told him as his girlfriend that I get the final say of what he does for a living."

"Oh, dear, the women always get the final say," my mom said to Katniss and winked. I groaned quietly.

Katniss smirked at my mother, and since she heard my groan, smirked at me. "So," Katniss started again, "it got me thinking about how strong Gale was, and how, when we're in the woods, he'll pick up a piece of wood, similar to those," she points to the piles of wood by the door, "and carves beautiful things in them. He carved me a flower once, I still have it somewhere, I think. But most of them he just tosses aside when he's done. So I thought that he should be a carpenter. He could build beautiful furniture. And I thought, he could build simple, sturdy things for families of the Seam, things cheap enough that if they save up a little they could buy, and he could make really pretty things for the Merchants and people like the mayor who have plenty of money. And I was thinking he could do things like carve out beautiful patterns for headboards, and the backs of fancy chairs, that I've seen at Madge's house. I just thought it would be a wonderful career choice for him, because under no circumstances could I let him get hurt or die in the mines, I won't let him. I can't lose him." She said fiercely.

I cut in, "And I thought what a great idea it was. Whenever I've been walking through town, I've seen the carpenter and he's getting old, he's not making nearly as many things as he used to. So I thought that I could go in and show him some of my carvings and see if he would give me an apprenticeship. And then when he decides to retire I can take over the shop. We brought the wood home so I can carve things late into the night, as long as I can, because we thought that we'd go over after school... Actually, Katniss we would have to come back here first anyway because it's not like I can lug those pieces of wood around school all day." I had stopped mid thought and looked over to Katniss at this revelation.

She looks like she's thinking for a second. "Oh, yeah, of course your right. After school, we'll run back here and then go to the shop."

I continue, "Katniss said she'll come with me and play the 'I don't want my future husband to work in the mines and I'm innocent act'. She thought having a girl that 'I was going to have to support the rest of our lives' there would give us some sympathy."

"You're getting married?" Mrs. Everdeen asked.

Katniss beat me to the punch, at least I knew she really did want to marry me 'eventually'. "No, no, no, it's just an act, I figure I can dress up nice and stuff too, to really play up the angle. But it's not an angle that I don't want Gale working in the mines. He simply can't." Although Katniss' performance fooled most everyone at the table my mother looked at me, and I gave her a look saying, 'I'll tell you about it when I get a chance.' My mother nodded, understanding.

"So we started doing some carving at our rock," I say. "And while I had said that Katniss was just my inspiration for the project, she's actually's been a big help. She's been tracing light lines in patterns on the wood for me to carve out after. And she also thinks that I should do a couple where you char what you've carved out so it stands out more. Katniss said we should only do a few because she thinks that the carpenter probably has the stuff that goes over it so black ash doesn't get all over your hands."

"Katniss is probably right. I've seen some pieces like that when I've been to the market," Mrs Everdeen surprisingly says, she usually keeps her comments to a minimum while listening to others talk. Maybe she's getting a little better.

"So," I start looking at our mothers, "I thought that maybe Katniss could stay the night, helping me. She said she could get all her school stuff and bring it here. We would still pick up Prim in the morning." I'm basically pleading.

"Well, I don't know, Katniss," her mother starts. Then thankfully my mother cuts in.

"Oh, Candice, let her stay, it's no trouble at all and I believe Gale when he says that she's his inspiration, and even better that she's helping him by making patterns. You know they wouldn't ever do something under my roof to disrespect me."

"No, ma'am," Katniss says so seriously I think I might laugh.

"Katniss, I have complete trust in you. Not so much my son over there. Yes, you Gale. I've heard some things about the slag heap?" She ends up making it a question which is so much worse.

"I was having trouble with my feelings for Katniss, I never did anything really bad." We all know I'm lying. Except for Posy. She's on my side.

"Yeah, Gale told me he loved Katniss but didn't know what to do about it." Posy says sweetly. Everyone decides to let the matter drop.

After everyone's had a hardy supper, Katniss and I unleash our surprise. A dozen, real, live, cookies straight from the bakery. Katniss, I, Prim, Rory, Vick, and Posy each talk one. Our mothers' have figured out the math, and a dozen is two times six, and there's six "kids" if you include Katniss and I as kids. So they let us have them. We're saving the other one for each of us for tomorrow.

"I thought you were going to give the baker a good deal," My mom says.

"Oh, we did, eight squirrels for two loaves of bread, but he was so touched about us thinking of him and his family, he admitted his wife wasn't nice, by the way, that he threw in a bag of cookies despite our protests. It was mostly Katniss doing the talking. Who thought she could be so nice," I tease. She hits me softly on the arm.

"He was just so sad," she said looking sad just thinking about it. "At one point I actually gave him a hug, and then I realized how weird it was so I just let go. But he was very happy about the squirrels."

"Well, I think Prim and I are going to head home. Thanks for letting us eat at your table again, Hazelle," Mrs. Everdeen says.

"Of, course, anytime. You're like family," my mom says back.

"Katniss are you going to walk home with us to get your stuff?" Mrs. Everdeen asks her daughter.

Katniss answers in the positive. "I'll walk with you guys, I don't walk Katniss walking back here alone in the dark. Not that I don't think she could defend herself, because I know she could."

Katniss just rolled her eyes and took my hand and me, her, her mother, and Prim all headed over to her house. "I was thinking I'll wear a white dress tomorrow, going with the whole innocent, I-can't-take-down-a-150-pound-buck act." Katniss says as we're walking.

"I think that's a great idea." I say and I'm imagining her in another type of white dress, a wedding dress to be precise. I can't wait to talk to my mom about it. I think she'll have some good ideas about how to go about it. She knows Katniss very well, too.

We get to the Everdeen's house and Katniss' mother and Prim go about there business cleaning up a bit before going to bed. "I think I'll use my forage bag to bring my extra clothes." Katniss says. "I would be okay if I left it at your house during school right? I could pick it up when we pick your pieces up and drop it back at my house on the way."

"Of course that's okay, Catnip," I say. "You know my mom doesn't mind."

"Okay, well, I'll just be a couple minutes getting clothes. Would you mind grabbing my school bag it's the darker leather one on the seat by the door."

There's two worn leather backpacks on two seats that are near the front door, I realize that's where Katniss and Prim must unload once they get home from school. Prim's looks to be a tan color, a little smaller, and a little more worn. It makes since that it's smaller, she doesn't have as much stuff to carry since she's younger. And it's probably more worn because it probably used to be Katniss'. Katniss' is a little bigger and a darker color brown, I pick it up by the straps and throw it over my shoulder.

Katniss comes out of her room with her forage bag filled with clothes, and something that looks like a shape of a book. "Is that a book in there?" I ask curious.

"Oh, yeah, my mom came in the room when I was packing, and it's a book of herbal remedies and eatable plants that my dad added before he died. Some of them have pictures of flowers and I thought that I could use it to help me think of ideas. I had to make sure with my mother first though. She doesn't think she'll need it tonight. Plus she has it all practically memorized anyway. And remember, after we get you that job, _which we will_," she adds in a very serious voice, "we're going greens hunting."

"Oh, yes, I know, Katniss. You've been talking about it for a couple days, how could I forget?" I say.

"Are you teasing me?" She says.

"A little," I admit. She hits me on the chest.

"Come on let's go. Goodnight, mother, goodnight Prim! I'll pick you up for school in the morning! Love you!"

And with that said we head back out the door and retrace our steps to my house.

**Katniss**  
I take Gale's hand. I like holding hands with him. His hands are worn from all the work that he's done, and they are so big, much, much bigger than my tiny hands, but he sets the most delicate snares. When I try to do some of his fancier ones I end up tangling my hand in the wire or rope and he ends up laughing his head off at my expense. But I can shoot an arrow straight and true every single time. That's something he can't do. So I guess we're even. "Since we have so much food, and so much leftovers, that they'll last us about a week, we should check your snares while we're out tomorrow for squirrels. Maybe hunt a couple too. And then we'll need some stuff to trade with. I know my mother needs salt. She said she used a bunch on the turkey tonight."

"Sure, that sounds like a fine idea. Imagine catching squirrels everyday, that means bakery fresh bread everyday. Mmm."

I laugh at him and look up at him, "Are you drooling?" I joke.

"Oh, yeah, that bread is delicious!"

We laugh. "When we get to your house I'll put my bag of clothes in your room... wait, where am I sleeping?"

"You're sleeping with me, unless it makes you feel uncomfortable. We don't have to do anything. But I'll admit I like cuddling with you."

"Oh, that's fine. But will your mother be okay with that?"

"You know my mother said she trusts you, plus the walls are paper thin, she would hear if we did anything but a little kissing. Which I plan on doing if you don't mind."

I smirk, I like his kisses. "Of course I don't mind." And I tell him what I just thought. " I like your kisses, they're nice." I smile. He looks smug. "Anyway, I'll take out our family's plant book. And start tracing patterns on the pieces of wood that we've already gotten if you'd like. And you said that you should have some flat pieces too, so while I start on that, maybe you can go out back and chop a few pieces of wood?"

"Katniss, my dear, you think of everything." He smiles and drops his head down to give me a quick kiss. But that happened to be right as we were walking in his front door and his whole family saw. To my surprise I wasn't embarrassed, just... surprised. They all knew we were dating and it wasn't like our tongues were down each other's throats. It was a nice, sweet, quick kiss. His mother was smiling so happily, like she was waiting for this her whole life, Rory looked like he was thinking about something. Probably how to do that to my sister. I guess I don't mind the thought of them dating, even if they're young. I know Prim wouldn't do anything that she shouldn't do at this age, and Rory was turning into a fine young man. Vick looked sort of angry and I couldn't figure out for the life of me why, I make a mental note to ask Gale later. And Posy, cute, little Posy was smiling the biggest she could without her teeth showing, with her arms twisted together and hands held and was sort of wiggling around. And I find out why.

"You guys, are the cutest ever! Now I know what true love looks like, so when I get old enough to have a boyfriend, if he doesn't look at me like Gale looks at you, Katniss, I'm not going to go out with them! Oh, I can't wait until you get married, and you'll be my sister!"

She _was_ the cutest. "Oh, Posy, if we ever do get married, which I'm not saying we will, it won't be for a long time." She pouts a little, I can't stand it. "But you can still think of me as your big sister, okay?" She looks like she just won all the money in the Hob's betting pool about mine and Gale's relationship.

"Really?" she asks with a huge smile. "I can still call you my sister even though you guys aren't married?"

"Yes, you can. I'd be honored to have you as another little sister. And one that looks a little like me too!" I say nicely. The whole family's still watching this play out.

"You think I look like you?" she asks.

"Well of course, but, you're way prettier," I say.

"No, you're beautiful, I hope I look like you when I grow up," she says. Oh, she's so adorable. "But I still hope you can Gale get married and you're my sister for real, for real."

"I don't know about that, Pose," I hedge. But then I notice Hazelle looking between Gale and I. I know for a fact that he hasn't said anything about that to her, because I've been with him the whole time since we talked about it, unless you count the time we spilt up in the woods looking for pieces of wood. But there's no way in hell he would have ran all the way home to talk to Hazelle in that time. So I just figure that Hazelle's being Hazelle, knowing stuff way before she ever could have. She has like a sixth sense or something, or is just super observant. "Okay," I say, "I'll put my stuff in your room, Gale. As long it's okay with Hazelle." No matter what Gale thinks I'm not going to disrespect Hazelle in her house, I guess she's right about me.

"I trust you not to do anything, Katniss, I meant what I said at supper. I've always found that sleeping with a loved one keeps away the bad dreams," she says. Hazelle knows that I have nightmares. I have them mostly about my father dying, but I also have them about the reapings. Usually not about me getting reaped, but Prim and Gale the most, and then I have dreams where Rory or Vick or even three and a half year old Posy gets reaped. They scare me. Gale gets nightmares sometimes too, not as much as me, but he does. They're like mine, but instead of him getting reaped it's me. And he dreams about his father dying too. We're two of a kind. "Plus," Hazelle says, "the walls are thin, I can hear just about everything. So if you don't want me hearing something you better whisper." She winks. I love Hazelle.

"Well, I'll go put my stuff away and then start tracing lines in the wood, Gale, and you can go out and chop a few pieces?"

"Of course, Catnip, I'll see you in about ten minutes." I can just imagine on a hot summer day, or hot autumn day, Gale out in the back yard with his shirt off chopping wood, and his beautiful, strong back muscles. Okay I'm blushing, stop thinking about that. I put my bag on the edge of Gale's bed, I'll move it when we go to bed. It's about eight now, Posy should be getting to bed soon, and I know I saw Vick yawn. I don't know about Rory, but Prim usually goes to bed around nine. Maybe he'll hang out with us for a bit. I get the plant book out and head into the main room and I wonder where we should sit. The small couch would obviously be the most comfortable, but there's going to be wood shavings, of course we'd clean them up, but I don't know so I ask Hazelle.

"Hazelle, where should we work? We could work at the kitchen table, it would be easier to clean up. But since we're going to be working for a while the couch would probably be, at least my first choice, and we'd clean up afterward, I promise. As you said, I respect your rules in your house."

"Katniss, you're always so polite."

"Only to the people who deserve it," I say quickly.

She smiles. "You two can sit at the couch. How about you bring that bench over and use it as a sort of table to work on? Less mess on the couch to clean up after."

"Oh, that's a great idea, thank you, Hazelle." I look over to Rory who just seems to be hanging around. "Hey, Rory, can you help me move that bench in front of the couch?"

"Sure, Katniss." When we start to move the bench he looks at me, "Katniss can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything you want, Rory, but I can't promise I'll answer," I give him a wink and he smiles kind of weakly.

"Do you think Prim likes me? Like more than a friend?" He asks. I saw this coming.

"Yes, Rory, I think that Prim likes you more than a friend. But all you guys can do at this age, is hold hands, hug, and give little kisses. If I hear about anything more than that I'll hunt you down, you understand? I'm very protective of Prim." I say and he gulps probably knowing that I shot everything through the eye every time.

"I understand." We set the bench down and stand all the way back up and continue talking. "I really like her, I have for a while now, I've always thought she's very pretty. But she's so nice, and she can heal anyone or anything better than a real doctor could." He stops talking and looks like he's daydreaming. "I'll be very good to her, I promise. And if I'm not I give you permission to shoot me in the eye." He says. I know he means it, it's cute.

"Okay, Rory, you have my blessing. And I know you'll be good to my sister. You remind me a lot of Gale and not just in looks. You know you look a lot like him, even though I didn't know him until he was fourteen."

"That's what my mom always says, that me and Vick are starting to look like Gale."

I get closer to him. "Hey, Rory, you'll be out here when Vick goes to bed a little while, right?" He nods. "Good, because I have a question for Gale, but I want your input too."

"Okay," he says simply.

It must have already been ten minutes because Gale comes in with what looks like twelve pieces of wood that have been sliced perfectly, by someone who has had years of training doing it. "Hey, it seems like I've been doing all the work here!" He jokes.

"Nah, me and Rory moved a bench over to the couch so we can use it as a table and sit comfortably on the couch. How about that?" I ask.

"Well, I like being comfortable," Gale says pretending to think hard about it. "Hey, Rory, could you help me move the piles of wood over here so I don't have to make two trips?"

"Sure."

Then I think of something. "Are you going to tell Posy a bedtime story, Gale?"

"No, she said I had to work hard for you so I don't have to work in the mines and we were a good enough love story for tonight and she was very happy that you were her sister now."

"She's so cute," I say out loud this time.

"Yeah, she is," Gale says simply.

"Is Vick in bed?" I ask. Gale nods. "Where would you like me to start?" I ask looking at Gale while Rory sits across from us on the floor.

"I guess you could do one of the new flat pieces, then do some of the pieces we took from the woods, and then the rest of the flat pieces." I nod. "Rory, what are you still doing here, no offense, little brother, but there's nothing you can really do to help."

"Katniss said she had a question for you and said that she wanted my input too," Rory said. Gale looked at me questioningly while handing me a flat piece of board to start on.

"Well," I start kind of uncomfortably, while I get out my knife and start doing a vine border, where I plan to put a thistle in the middle, trying to show off Gale's range. "Well," I repeat, "When we were just walking in and you gave me that little kiss," I smile at Gale, "I noticed everyone's faces. Your mom looked like she had been waiting either your whole life, or her whole life for that moment of 'cute happiness', Posy, was well, Posy. Rory looked like he was thinking if that move would work on my sister. I gave him my blessing by the way, I think he'll be good to Prim and _never mistreat her_," I say the last part trying to sound threatening. "But Vick, well he looked like he was angry. And I just thought it was so weird. I would understand a boy of his age looking, I don't know, grossed out, but angry?" I question them.

They looked at each other and communicated just with their eyes like only siblings, Gale and I, and maybe other soul mates or hunting partners could do. It was weird to watch, know I knew how other felt when Gale and I did it. They both quickly looked at me at the same time, then to the room Vick was sleeping in, then to the ground kind of guiltily. Gale's the one who answers. "Vick has a crush on you, Catnip."

"But he's only nine!" I protest.

Then Rory puts in his two cents. "Yeah, but he's seen you grow up while he's grown up and he thinks you're the coolest girl in the world and he's jealous of Gale for 'getting to you first' he told me."

I feel bad for poor Vick, but he's five years younger than me, I could never date him, it would never work, plus I think of him as a younger brother. Oh, this is awkward. I voice my thoughts. "But I think of you and him as younger brothers," I say.

"Well I know that," Rory says rolling his eyes. But Gale stops him short.

"Rory be polite to Katniss, she's just finding this out!"

"I'm sorry, Katniss," Rory says, although he doesn't sound particularly sorry. I find it quite funny, actually. "I know you think of me as a younger brother, and I think of you as an older sister, and as a sister-in-law when I marry Prim."

"I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself, there, buddy," Gale says.

"No, I'm not!" Rory counters.

I intervene. "Well, Prim does have a crush on Rory and is not against marriage like I am," I say that bit for Rory's sake since Gale knows that I'm going to marry him someday because my brain's turned insane. "But you guys are only eleven. You'll have to wait _awhile_." I pronounce very slowly so Rory knows I mean it. "You guys can have a long, happy girlfriend and boyfriend relationship before you get married."

"Yeah, okay. I'll let you lovebirds get to working, and in the mean time I'll try to talk Vick into looking for someone closer to his own age, for you, Katniss, since you've given me your blessing to date Prim." Rory says maturely.

"Thank you very much, Rory. I know if you ask her out she'll say yes. Just try to wait for the perfect moment. Or the perfect moment could just happen. Like I happen to know that Prim absolutely hates the violence of the Games, so you can hold her and comfort her and turn her away from the screen, either the big screen in the square or the screen at your house. But know this. Do not ask her out during the Games. They make her feel uncomfortable and she'll think you don't have a heart if you're asking her out while a tribute is getting his heart stabbed, okay?"

"Okay, thanks for the advice, Katniss. Goodnight, Gale, goodnight Katniss."

We both say goodnight. "I feel bad that Vick has a crush on me, isn't he old enough to know that it would never, ever work out, even if I wasn't with you? Which I am! And I am so happy, happier than I can ever remember being, and I love you!"

"It's alright, Katniss, he'll get over it. You heard Rory, he'll work on getting him to look at you as a sister and start looking at cute little girls his own age. Rory won't break his word when he knows Prim's love is on the line."

I laugh, "Yeah I know, now let's get to work!"

Over the next four hours we work furiously, me carving pattern lines, with all sorts of different patterns and pretty things. And Gale works on carving everything out, there's quite a big pile of pieces of wood that have been carved out on the bench-turned-work-table. I char a couple of the pieces that I think will look nicest with black in the background and by the time we're done, we made the decision to be done by about midnight, we've actually gotten though all the pieces. We're tired, especially Gale's poor hands.

I get a broom and a bucket. I sweep all the stuff off the bench into the bucket, using the broom, because I really don't like splinters. And sweep the floor as best as I can, there's not a lot of mess on the floor, and surprising none (that we can see) on the couch, I take a piece of paper and put it on the floor and sweep the mess onto it and fold it so I can dump it in the bucket. I decide I'll deal with the bucket tomorrow, but I put it by the back door and put the broom away. We go into Gale's room, and not much is said right now, as I said we are tired, him much more than me.

"I'll just change into my nightshirt in here, as long as you promise not to look." I say.

"I promise I won't look. I only sleep in my boxers but if that makes you uncomfortable I'll sleep with a shirt on too." Gale says, ever the gentleman.

"No, I don't want to make you uncomfortable in your own room. Besides, you're tired, you shouldn't have to be uncomfortable."

"I will be a lot more comfortable in bed with you," he says. He goes over to the bed and starts undressing.

"Don't look!" I warn.

"I won't, don't worry." I quickly change out of all my clothes except my underwear. I don't where bras to bed, they're uncomfortable, so I just pull on my over-sized tee-shirt, it's not like I have huge breasts that Gale would notice the difference between me bra and braless.

"Are you in bed?" I ask.

"Yes, Catnip, I'm in bed." He says.

I walk over and see him and he looks so tired but so happy to see me. "It looks like you could be wearing one of my tee-shirts, you look really good in it, are you sure it's not mine?" He says.

"No, it's one of my father's old ones. I like wearing them, I feel closer to him." Gale looks at me tenderly and pats the other side of the bed. It's like when we're walking and holding hands. He's on the left side of the bed so if I wanted to hold his hand I would hold his left with my right. I think this will be our routine for the rest of our lives. I crawl into my side of the bed. "Give me your hand," I say.

He thinks I'm just going to hold it, but I know how stiff his hands must be. Whenever he does carve something, it's just little. But he carved a lot tonight. So I start massaging his hand. He groans, "Oh, Katniss, that feels wonderful." He seems to realize what he said could be taken the wrong way and in case his mother is still awake says loudly, "Don't worry, mom, Katniss is massaging my hands because they're so damn stiff from working!"

"You probably woke her up," I say not stopping with the massage. I massage and knead all his fingers, and in between them. The muscles of his hands. He moans. "Okay, give me your other hand." He turns over to he can give his other hand to me easier. And I do the same process that I did with his left hand but with his right.

"Katniss you are the best girlfriend in the entire world, and you'll be the best wife ever when we get married." He must have noticed he said it in his regular voice because he looks at me sheepishly. I'm still massaging his hand, I'm almost done.

"Don't worry, when we kissed in the doorway and Posy was talking about us getting married your mom didn't seem to believe me when I said we weren't ever going to. I swear your mother has a sixth sense about things."

"Yeah she kind of does," he says looking at my hands that are around his much bigger one. I finish up. I did work tonight too, not nearly as much, but massaging takes a lot more strength than I would have thought. He looks up into my eyes and says simply, "Thank you, Katniss," and takes his big hands and puts them on either side of my face and brings his head and my head closer so we can kiss. I already took my hair down for the night so he doesn't waste any time thrusting his hands into massaging my scalp, which feels wonderful.

Then he does what he did when we were kissing on the rock, he takes his tongue and traces my lips, I know now that he's asking permission for me to open my mouth, and I do, because I oh, so, love his kisses. We kiss for a while. And then Gale puts his hand on my side, and slides it under my shirt. It feels like my skin is on fire. I know now that he will be aware of my lack of bra. Oh, well. He rubs up and down my back, and moves to my sides and rubs and downs and a laugh a little, it tickles.

"Oh, are you ticklish?" He asked.

I deny it. "No, not at all... well maybe a little but you can't tickle me because I will laugh very loudly and wake everyone up and it'll be your fault!" So there. I say to him knowing that we can't wake the kids or his mother up.

"Okay, no tickling, for now," Gale says.

"No, Gale, no tickling ever, I hate it," I continue to whisper-shout.

"We'll talk about this later, I believe we were kissing."

"Were we?" I joke.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure, because I feel very, very happy right now," he says.

"Now that you mention it, I think maybe we were, and you were rubbing my back and it felt wonderful."

"Yeah, I remember doing that. Shall I continue?"

"I think you should," I say.

"Only if you start kissing me again."

"Deal."

**Gale**  
Our mouths connect again and it's like magic. I've kissed many girls, and now that I have Katniss I'm not proud of them. Katniss is all I need. She actually wants me to have a better life, and doesn't just want me for a little fooling around. She knows me inside and out. I rub her back more since she said it felt good. Massaging the muscles. She moans into my mouth. I bring my hand around and lay it on her flat smooth stomach and I can't help thinking how I want her stomach round with our baby inside her. I know she's too young now to even think about it, even if she wanted kids, which she doesn't, but I have many years to change her mind. I move my hand to rub her back some more and she does the same, massaging, just rubbing and tracing patterns and letters. I guess she likes tracing things, I smile into our kiss. And then something kind of sad happens, but I knew it would happen soon. Katniss pulls back her head and yawns. My poor girl's tired.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I really don't want to be tired, but I am. It's so relaxing when you rub my back. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it in the future." She warns jokingly.

"It's fine, Katniss, it's been a long day. Come here." I lay on my back and she lays a little more than halfway on her side and then a little on her belly. Her body is twisted so her head is on my heart. Well, it really isn't my heart anymore, is it? It belongs to her.

"I like listening to your heartbeat," she tells me, "its very soothing." She chuckles quietly, "It makes me even more tired."

"Well, you can go to sleep, my Catnip. In the morning we'll wake up, and go to our last day of school, then we'll run right back here and get all the wooden pieces and your bag, drop your bag back at your house, and go to the carpenter's shop, hopefully get me a job-"

"_Definitely_ get you a job," she interrupts.

"Okay, _definitely_ get me a job, go home to change, meet at the fence, and go hunting for greens. Then we should lie on our rock for a while, and just relax."

She yawns again, "That sounds like a very good day," she says tiredly.

"Yes, it does, Catnip, now go to sleep. I love you."

"Me too, Gale. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I say.

I look down and watch her for a few minutes. She looks so peaceful and beautiful. I would love to fall asleep like this every single night. I can already hear her breathing evening out and deepening. She's fallen asleep. I can just hope she doesn't have any nightmares tonight. But if she does, I'll be here to hold her, and comfort her, to love her. And like earlier that day, at our rock, where she had a break down about me going into the mines. I will tell her the right things, things that she wants to hear. Everything will be alright. I'm here with her. I'll protect her from everything that tried to hurt her or scare her. Maybe if she doesn't have nightmares we can convince our mothers for this to be a normal thing. Just sleeping with her. With her sleeping by my side, I find myself getting sleepy earlier than normal. I usually think about things for a couple hours before falling asleep. It's her presence here with me. She's my other half, and when she's with me, I feel like I can do anything. And anything I can already do, I can do better. I hold on to her tighter, bringing her close to me, never wanting to let go, and bring the blankets up to cover us, and kiss the top of her head. And I find myself falling into the most peaceful sleep I can remember having.

A/N: I've decided to update every other week until I've finished my story so it will hopefully be consistent updates rather than random ones. Anyways, please read, and review, and fave, and follow, and whatever! :-)


	11. Chapter 11

**Gale**  
I wake up in the morning earlier than usual. I can tell by the light of the sun. And I notice I feel very content and warm, very warm. And I immediately remember that Katniss slept over last night. She has not moved an inch. That means she didn't have any nightmares, when she has nightmares she thrashes around and usually wakes up, by sitting straight up in bed with a gasp, a yelp, or a sad scream depending on how bad the nightmare is, according to Prim. Prim says sometimes in the throws of a few bad nightmare she'll mumble names. Prim thinks they're the names of the people that are getting hurt in her dreams. I'm glad she didn't have a nightmare last night. I would have been there for her, of course, but I don't ever want her to have nightmares.

I just lie there because I'm very comfortable and Katniss is still asleep on me and I surely don't want to wake her up. I think about the day ahead. Katniss seems sure that I can get that job with the carpenter. She's right about a lot of things, so I can only hope she's right about this. Then hunting for greens. That's boring in comparison to normal hunting but I know Katniss will do some of that too, and allow me to do more normal hunting while she's 'hunting' greens. Sometimes she doesn't trust me to get the right things. I don't blame her. After every time we collect the greens she goes over all of them before bringing them home. All of her's are always right. Always. But at least half of mine are usually wrong. What can I say? I didn't grow up with a book full of detailed pictures of plants for healing, and the ones her father added, plants for eating. She said you have to be especially careful with those because one mouthful of the wrong thing and you could die, depending on what you've mistaken with something. I start to feel Katniss moving. And like a cat, she stretches out. She looks beautiful, even when she has just woken up. I am one lucky guy, and I know it. She stretches for another minute before she becomes aware of where she is.

Great hunting and being aware skills, Catnip. She freezes, mid stretch, which makes it even funnier, and opens her eyes wide. Then she relaxes her body. "I forgot where I was," she says, "I was so comfortable and warm and I didn't notice the pillow I was using was you. I just thought, 'hey, this pillow is amazing."

I start laughing good natured, "Oh, Katniss, I was very comfortable when I woke up too. I don't think you're allowed to sleep anywhere else from now on. You have to sleep in my bed with me. I kept the nightmares away, right?"

"Yes, you did, thank you. Ugh. I don't want to get up! I'm too comfortable!"

"But we have lots to do today, remember?" I ask.

"Of course I do. And the most important one is getting you that job!" Yep, that woke her up. She's determined. She practically hops out of bed. "Don't look!" She warns. I comply, I don't want her getting mad at me. After only about two minutes she's completely changed except for her hair. "I was hoping that Hazelle wouldn't mind doing my hair," she says. "I want it to look 'nice and innocent' for the carpenter. I need to play my role!" She says excitedly. I know she wants me to get the job very badly so I don't have to work in the mines. I don't blame her. I don't want to work down there either. It's very, very deep down.

"Okay, why don't you see if my mom is up, if she is, she's making breakfast for everyone, and I'll meet you out there. I'm sure she'd love to do your hair. You have so much of it compared to Posy." She smiles at me and turns to my door and leaves.

Now for me to get dressed. I want to look nice too, if I'm going to be asking for a nice job, where not only would I be making things, I might have to deal with customers. I don't think I really will have to very often. The old carpenter seems like he doesn't want to build anymore. Maybe Katniss could work the register as well. When the old man doesn't feel up to it. I just hope he waits until I'm at least 18 before he retires. I don't think people would take my work seriously if I were any younger than that. I pick out a pair of black pants and a grey shirt that 'brings out my eyes' both Katniss and my mother say. Then get the dressiest shoes I own. It's practically like reaping clothes all over again. But instead of getting picked to fight and kill in an arena I'm fighting for a job. And I don't know if I have any competition. I hope not. Katniss would probably make them go away anyway, I chuckle in my head. I can see it now, her threatening a boy twice her size, telling him to 'look for work elsewhere, this job's already taken! Now go away!'. That'd be my Katniss. Fighting for me just like I'd fight for her. I finished getting dressed, even running a comb through my hair. I'm going all out for this one. When I walk out of my bedroom my whole family, and yes I did just include Katniss as part of my family because as far as I'm concerned... and everyone else in my family is concerned really, she is, are eating breakfast.

Like the Everdeen's have Lady the goat, we have a small chicken coop. Apparently today at least some of the chickens have laid eggs, because there's scrambled eggs on the plates. It's something we don't get enough of, Katniss slept over on a good night. But now, I think every night is a good night for her to sleep over. I sit down next to Katniss. "See even your chickens want you to have a good morning so you'll have a good afternoon and get the job!" I've never seen her this excited over anything. Except maybe getting Lady for Prim on her birthday.

"Yeah, I guess they do," I say humoring her.

"I know that was a sarcastic comment," she mumbles, frowning.

"No, no, Catnip, I'm as excited about this job as you are, probably more so since you wouldn't be the one going down into the mines," her eyes waver, she really hates the mines, "I'm going to do everything I can to get the job, did you see how nicely I dressed?"

She looks over, she must have been too caught up eating eggs to notice because her eyes widen. "Oh, Gale, you look so handsome!"

"I agree," my mother says. "Katniss do you want me to do your hair while you're eating to save time?"

"Only if you can, Hazelle, I would really appreciate it. And remember, pretty and innocent, like I couldn't shot him in the eye with an arrow."

My mom laughs, "Of, course dear." She starts with Katniss' hair twisting it and braiding it in ways I can't describe. I'm glad I don't have to have long hair. "So I trust you didn't have any bad dreams last night, Katniss? Your mother tells me you can yell out if they get bad."

Katniss looks down embarrassed, she hates seeming weak. "No, I didn't have any nightmares, it was actually the most comfortable sleep I've had in a long while." She plays with her eggs. Then she just studies them. "Gale didn't you build that chicken coop?"

"Yeah, why?"

"And your front fence, like three years ago?"

"Yes, again, why?"

"Because we can tell the carpenter, dummy! You built a house for a bunch of chickens, and a front fence, with cheap wood and they're both still standing! That means you build things to last. You can use that."

"Yeah, I guess, I can, huh?" Katniss is good at thinking of plans, it seems, and she's just trying to help me. She finishes eating her eggs and her toast. Just as my mother's finishing up her hair. It looks really pretty, it's all twisted up around her head in braids. I'm a guy, so I don't know if that style has an actual name or not, but I'll call it 'Innocent Katniss' since that's what she wanted.

"Do you want to see if your hair looks alright, Katniss?" my mother asks.

"I know anything you did, Hazelle, will look great, but I would love to see it."

"It looks really pretty," Posy and I say at the exact same time.

Everyone including Posy bursts out laughing, except for me. I just said the same thing as a three year old, and at the same time. Wow. Katniss walks into the bathroom, "Here, dear, I have an old handheld mirror too, that way you can see the back as well as the front," my mother says. I think she really enjoyed doing Katniss' hair.

They're in the small bathroom, where I can't see, but I can hear. "Oh, Hazelle, you work wonders! Thank you so much!" I hear Katniss say.

"It's no problem at all, you're practically my daughter," my mother says.

I could probably _hear_ Katniss blushing if I tried. And I can imagine her looking down embarrassed again. I hear her whisper, "Hazelle you have a sixth sense I swear, but it's not going to be for a long time, so don't tell anyone, promise me."

"Of course, I promise, Katniss," she says, and then whispers, "I could have told your mother already couldn't I have?"

I hear Katniss turn around, because the bathroom is so small she probably knocked something over. "Oh, don't tell her, Hazelle, I still don't trust her all the way."

"I won't Katniss, don't worry your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you, for both the hair and the secret."

"You're welcome, dear."

"What took you guys so long?" Posy asks innocently.

"Oh, I was just having trouble seeing the back of my hair, Posy," Katniss tells her.

"Oh, well, if you were having trouble I can tell you what it looks like," Posy says happy to help her 'big sister'.

"Okay, Posy, please tell me if it looks okay," Katniss lets her describe the back of her hair which she's already seen because she knows Posy wants to help. "Oh, Posy, thank you so much for helping me. I don't know if I could have left the house not knowing what the back of my hair looked like!" Katniss is lying, she doesn't care what she looks like. Well normally, today she sort of does, doesn't she?

"I can do it anytime," Posy tells her.

"Thank you," Katniss says again. "Oh, Gale remember how I thought I'd have to bring my forage bag back to my house after school? Well, if we're picking up Prim, which I told her I would, I can just bring it there this morning. One less stop between you and your new job!" She says excitedly. God, I really hope I get this job or Katniss will be so disappointed. Not at me, I know, I tried my hardest, tried to look my best, I'm going to be on my best behavior even if the carpenter is a Capitol loyalist, I'll be nice to him. She would just be terribly disappointed that her plan didn't work, and she'll have to come up with a new one since she's so adamant that I don't work in the mines. And I don't want to work down there, either.

I look at Katniss and give her a big smile, "We worked very hard last night. We can tell him we, or me, if you want him to be really impressed," she gives me a smile, "that we did all those pieces of wood only last night, and we can mention the chicken coop, and the fence too. I'm thinking positively." I say.

Katniss smiles big again, "I know this sounds really cliché, but, I'm so proud of you, Gale," she gives me a sappy smile, but that wasn't faked, she is proud of me. "You're working so hard to try for a better life and to make me happy too, and I bet your mother as well, I'll bet you anything she doesn't want you working down there! Hazelle?" she asks.

"Of course I don't want him working down there, it's dark, dirty, dangerous, and the place I lost my husband." My mother doesn't cry but she looks down with tears in her eyes, first me at Katniss at the same time, then Rory and Vick and finally Posy, who had trouble getting out of her seat hug my mother from all sides. And she is crying now, but happy tears. "I'm so proud of all of you, and you too Katniss, even if you aren't mine, you've made Gale a better person I think, not that you were ever bad, sweetie," she says to me.

"I know, ma'. And Katniss has made me a better person, that's one reason why I love her so much." Katniss looks up to me and smiles. We all settle down emotionally. Wow, that was a lot of love in the room right then. And I noticed that Vick joined the hug _behind_ Katniss so he was mostly hugging her. I'll get Rory to get working on him harder saying that Katniss will help him even more with Prim, I know she would, she feels bad that Vick likes her when he has all kinds of little girls his age drooling over him. But he thinks it's only my mom, Posy, and the Everdeen girls who don't have cooties right now. Ah, to be young. Katniss goes into my room and picks up her foraging bag.

"Aha!" she yells. "You built this wall between you and your mom's room, too, you've built a ton of stuff, Gale, I'll try to think over everything during school. I know you've fixed a ton of stuff at my house. I can't remember specifics right now..." Katniss says.

"Wow, Catnip not remembering something, now that's a big deal," I joke.

She looks deep in thought but still comes back with an awful comeback. "Haha, very funny." You know her heart's not into it, it's into thinking of what I've built or fixed over the years, I just _know_ she's going to have a written list when schools over. I tell Rory. We bet two coins, he thinks she'll just remember. I know she won't want to forget one single thing and will right it all down. I just became two coins richer. While Katniss eyes are still far away thinking she moves kind of without thinking about it. She gets her family's plant book and puts it in the foraging bag and puts that on the couch and goes back into my room where she gets her backpack that was on the floor and puts it on, because she knows better than I do, when she's miles away in her head that we've got to go soon. She shakes herself out of it. "Posy, my new little sister, come give me a hug!"

Posy shrieks and runs over to her crashing into her middle, "I still can't believe you'll let me be you're sister!" Posy says practically in happy tears and with a smile that would split most peoples' faces open.

Katniss bends down to her level and gives her a kiss on the nose, "Why wouldn't I want a little sister like you, you're very helpful aren't you. And smart. You know what true love looks like, and you told me what the back of my hair looked like when I couldn't see it. I'll tell you what, instead of meeting Gale by the fence, I'll meet him here so I can say 'hi', how's that sound?"

"That sounds amazing!" Posy says in a loud whisper, like if she talks too loud she won't be able to be her sister anymore.

"Well then, I'll come by later this afternoon, after Gale gets his job, but you have to do something for me, okay?" Posy nods, wanting to do whatever Katniss wants perfectly. "I want you to hope all day that Gale get's that job, okay? Even though Gale's perfect for the job, good luck helps a lot. It's a very important job. So, do you think you can do it?"

Posy is nodding her little head off, "I won't stop hoping all day! Even when I take my nap!"

"Good," Katniss says and kisses her on the nose again. She'll make a great mom, I think. But I have to stop having those thoughts at this point. Katniss heads over to my mom. "Thanks, Hazelle for letting us use your living area as a workshop. And for letting me sleepover, I really had the best sleep I can remember. Maybe it was my pillow," she looks over and winks at me, my mom caught it and smiled.

"Anytime, dear," my mom says.

"And thank you for the wonderful breakfast and doing my hair lovely, and," she sort of whispers, "for keeping your promise."

"I threw away the key." Then she whispers, "If only I get to talk to you two soon enough." We both nod.

"Bye, ma', love you," I kiss her cheek. "Bye, Posy, I love you, too," I pick her up in a hug and swing her around.

"I'll be hoping you get that job, Gale!"

"Thanks, Pose, that means a lot to me," I tell her. I grab Katniss' forage bag for her, "Come on, everyone let's go pick up Prim!" Rory's eyes light up and me and the boys get our backpacks.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry that, Gale?" Catnip asks me, what a silly question.

"Nope, I got it, but I can give you one of my hands to hold," I smile at her and hold out my left hand and she grabs it with her right and she smiles at me while we walk to her house with my brothers trailing a little behind us, hopefully Rory's holding up his end of the conversation from last night. I feel bad, but I'm sick of Vick liking Katniss, he should look at girls his own age. Though I know no one his age is as cool as Katniss, especially with a bow and arrow. It takes a little over five minutes to get to the Everdeen's. I let go over Katniss' hand and give her her forage bag, "Here you go Catnip, why don't you go in and get Prim we'll be waiting here."

"Okay," she says, "it'll only be a second." She opens the door, and leaves it open, "Prim, get your backpack, we're leaving! Mom, I brought back the book and I'm leaving it on the table!" I hear her moving around quickly inside, no doubt putting her bag back in her room. "Come on, Prim, let's get a move on!"

"Well, it wasn't like I knew when you were coming, did I?" I hear Prim say.

"Sorry, Prim, but you know this is the normal time we leave, did you wake up late?"

"Yeah, but just by a couple minutes!"

"Okay I'll grab your backpack, you finish that braid and meet us outside, okay?"

"'Kay!"

I hear Katniss moving quickly again, and she's at the door with what I know is Prim's backpack. "Sorry, Prim woke up a little late she'll only be a second."

Vick was in a bad mood because he said, "Why should we have to wait for her?" And he scowled. Everyone who knows Katniss knows not to mess with her little sister. And I know he knows that he just had 'what little hope he had with Katniss' when she says this.

"Because, _Vick_, she is my little sister, and if I say we wait for her, we wait for her. But you can feel free to go ahead and walk yourself to school." She says challengingly knowing that he wouldn't. Rory smirks at him as if saying, 'wrong move, little brother.'

"I'll wait," Vick mumbled, so quietly I had trouble understanding him.

"What was that, Vick, you'll walk to school on your own because you can't wait one minute to go somewhere I know you don't like?"

"I said," he said a little louder, "I'll wait."

"Good. Ah, there's the star of the moment. Vick wanted to leave without you, Prim," Katniss says nonchalantly as she hands Prim her backpack.

And Prim, who is the nicest little girl in the world just frowns, and says, "That's not very nice, Vick, I was only an extra minute."

And in moves Rory for the kill. He walks over to Prim and puts an arm around her shoulders', he's already quite a few inches taller than her, just like I'm a hell of a lot taller than Katniss. "I was going to make him wait for you, don't worry, Prim, I'd never leave without you," he says to her with a pretty suave smile for an eleven year old.

"Thanks, Rory, you're so nice," and she smiles up at him, and me and Katniss just smile at each other.

Time to take charge, "Okay, everyone, as dramatic as some of us made that," I say not naming names but looking at Vick because he's acting like girls do when they're on their period. I know to watch what I say around Katniss that time of the month. "If we don't start walking to school now, we'll be late," I say. Vick walks ahead of us with his head down, he's obviously embarrassed, well good, he was acting like a little shit. And Katniss is holding my hand again, left, it seems like always, it's a pattern, and going to continue to be one, I can tell. And a smug Rory walks with Prim with his arm still around her shoulders, Katniss and I frequently look back and then look at each other and smile. After a while of walking we gets to the school that holds the kids' years. We drop them off and continue on to our school. Five minutes later we walk hand-in-hand to the front of the school where Madge is waiting for Katniss.

"Hello, lovebirds," she teases. I don't say anything because she's alright in my book now.

"Hey, Madge, guess what!" Katniss says and doesn't wait for an answer I know what she's going to start talking about. "I came up with a wonderful idea for Gale since he'll have to get a job after his last reaping, and I can't have him going down in the mines. He likes carving into wood, like pretty things for me, and just random stuff he's been doing for years, but he builds stuff too, so I put two and two together and thought he should be a carpenter, you know a builder that makes furniture!"

Madge smirks, apparently she's as amused with Katniss' enthusiasm about the subject too, but understands, she also knows that Katniss hates the mines. "I know what a carpenter is, Katniss," she smiles.

"Oh, yeah, of course you do, I'm just so excited! You see, that's why I dressed pretty, I'm going to be acting. But don't tell anyone else if the carpenter hears that I'm mostly acting he won't be happy."

Madge catches her slip up too, "Mostly?" she asks with an eyebrow raised.

"Well you know, I _really_ don't want Gale working in the mines. And I _really_ do think that he'd be great at that job," Katniss looks down embarrassed to be caught in a little lie. I wink at Madge over Katniss' shoulder. I can tell she understands.

"I bet he would be," Madge looks at me, "Katniss said that you built that fence in front of your house. I'll admit that I haven't passed by too often, just when going to Katniss' house, but it's a good looking fence."

"Thank you, Madge, I appreciate that. Especially since your family can afford the finest." I stop, that sounded bad, I start talking real quick before they can say anything. "I didn't mean that as a bad thing!" I all but shouted. I know Katniss and Madge were angry about what I said on the day of the reaping. "I meant I can make real nice looking stuff, too. In fact Katniss and I've been talking about it, well really mostly Katniss, she's excited if you can't tell," I smile at Katniss and she scowls for a second before smiling. "We were thinking since the carpenter is getting older, he'll retire eventually, and maybe I could take over the shop with the love of my life here," I put my arm around Katniss' shoulder and she smiles up at me, "And I could make real fancy carved stuff for the people in town that can afford it, like the mayor, and make cheap but sturdy things for people in the Seam. I want to cater to everyone. And not leave anyone out."

Madge smiles a real nice smile. "I think that's a great idea, you guys. Not enough people do that. It's either poorly made things for the Seam or nice stuff for the Merchants. At least you two can trade your fancy game and strawberries," she gives a wink, "for good bread and other things. But I know as well as everyone else including my dad that there's too much of a divide between the 'classes' as people say. Between the Seam people and the Merchant people." So she's of the same mind as me. And I've always thought badly of her. I look down, I feel bad.

"Madge, I need to apologize," I start, Katniss looks serious but happy, she knows what I'm going to do, but Madge looks mostly confused. "I never knew how Katniss, someone who grew up in the Seam without enough a lot of her life could or would be friends with the mayor's daughter who had everything, or could have anything. And I just assumed you would have been a snob. Katniss always told me otherwise, but I have a set mind, I guess. But now I know you feel the same way as I do. About the difference between the classes. Maybe someday this summer Katniss and I can both take you out to the woods, I know Katniss wanted to, but we can actually talk there if you know what I mean. So I just wanted to apologize until then, until I can really talk to you, and Katniss can mediate if things get bad," I try ending with a joke.

She looks at me real hard for a full minute then just says, "Okay, Hawthorne, you've got a deal. But it's best not to think people are a certain way just because of how they grew up."

"I know that now, and I'm sorry again," I say.

"Forget about it. You can tell me all about it later, right?" she asks with a slight smile.

"Yes, I can. And I will," I say.

"Oh, my, god, today is the best day ever!" Katniss practically squeals, she sounds like a real-live girl, it's funny. "First I had the best night's sleep like ever, and eggs for breakfast, and my two best friends decide to put aside their differences, and Gale's going to get a good job that's not in the mine!" She leaps up and gives me a big kiss on the mouth, then hops down and gives Madge a big hug, I was glad that she didn't kiss Madge.

"Well, Catnip, I'm very glad you're happy, but classes are about to start. You and Madge need to head to your class, and I'll see you at lunch, alright?"

"Alright!" she smiles and gives me another kiss. "See you at lunch!" She calls back as she walks away with Madge.

Katniss was sure in a good mood, which made me a happy person. I just hope everything goes well at the carpenter's, she'll stay happy that way. And then tomorrow we go on our first 'official date' as Katniss called it. I'm reading her a book. I'll have to remember to bring a blanket, at least, and of course the picnic, and maybe a pillow if I get too tired of sitting up all the way. I can't wait.

**Katniss**  
Classes until lunch seems to fly by. It's probably just me excited to see Gale, and I just can't wait to see if he gets the job. _ No, Katniss, not if he gets the job, he will._ Madge seems pretty pleased that my best friend and boyfriend finally realized that Madge was a good person and didn't deserve the bad things he said to her, or about her to me. Of course, I always defended her. I know Madge is a very good person. Though I didn't know all about the political views she shared with Gale and I and so many others. I knew she believed everyone was the same, that having less or more money didn't really change a person, but I didn't know she was so vocal about it. It makes me happy that she and Gale can really agree on something.

It seems like she knows what I'm thinking because she says, "I never thought Gale Hawthorne and I would have anything in common."

"Yeah who'd of thought that? But I'm glad. I could tell how bad he felt about saying... not-so-very-nice stuff about you in the past."

"'Not-so-very-nice-stuff about me?'" She laughs.

"Well it wasn't even really directly about you, you know... it's about the _classes_," I use the word in the context that they used outside, but since we were in school it could just seem like I was talking about... well... classes. Speaking of which we only had one more until lunch. Then two classes after lunch and then going to get Gale's job that's not in the mines! "Ugh, 'the uses of coal' - yeah we burn it. And it covers miners' lungs until they have hacking coughs and eventually die. I've seen it so many times, people going to my mother for help, but she can't do much. Plus I run out the front door at about the first sight of a sick person. I don't understand how my mother and little Prim, who can't stand when I shoot a squirrel for food, and wants to try to heal it, by the way, with an arrow through it's eye, can stand helping people that are really sick or really hurt. Like people the miners' doctors write off saying it's not worth the effort, they're going to die anyway. But then they die in our house on a table in the spare room for sick and hurt people. Ugh, I hate coal."

Madge looks at me sideways like she isn't sure what to say. So I tell her, "If you don't know what to say when I start on something specific and then go on a rant, you don't have to say anything at all, but it does make me feel better if you just nod." She nods. "Thank you."

She laughs, "You're welcome, Katniss. But I don't understand how you can't stand the sight of like hurt people with what you do to animals. I'm certainly not saying you blow off their legs in mine explosions, but you skin them and gut them..."

"Animals are different, their food. And I shoot them quick, through the eye, so they don't suffer. People are different. They have family and friends who love them. People who when the bring their injured to our house they cry and cry, and don't want to give up hope even though there's no hope left. And I know that's a horrible thing to say, but there isn't. If my mother says there's nothing she can do, there's nothing she can do, except maybe give them sleeping syrup so they can sleep and not be in horrible pain when they die." I say. We've been in the classroom for a while now, but Madge and me always sit in the back and talk quiet. We _really_ don't care about coal. "When the miners' doctors write someone off as dead, they're as good as, it's just a matter of time. My mother doesn't have nearly as many medical supplies as they do, and they have more high-tech ones. Not as high-tech as the Capitol, but they don't want their worker bees dying off too quick now do they?" I look around, luckily no one heard me, I said that last bit a little too loud. I feel like Gale.

We talk about things like this for the rest of class, but I make extra sure that I keep it down. I don't want anyone hearing me, even though they all hate the Capitol as much or more than I do. But you never know, and that's the scary thing.

Soon enough it's time for lunch, and I'm happy because I can see Gale. Luckily I can still realize that I'm acting differently than I used to. I'm acting more like a girl. But I guess that's only with Gale, because I'm never going to stop hunting, and climbing trees, and doing things most girls won't do. Of course most people won't even go under the fence, where I do my hunting and climbing. But I can say with utmost certainty that most girls, besides people like Rooba the butcher, and Greasy Sae, and my and Gale's mothers would never skin and gut an animal. They would think it's too gross. I think it's the only way to make it eatable.

Madge and I get to the lunchroom and sit at the table we normally sit at, and I know Gale will remember to find us since yesterday. And I was right Gale sits down next to me a minute later and gives me a kiss and grabs ahold of my hand, "How were classes?" he asks with a smile.

"Oh, you know, the normal, we had Panem History and The Uses of Coal. Blah. So we just talked the whole time. I got so heated that I felt like you at some points. Maybe you're rubbing off on me." Then I realize what I said and blush. "That is _not_ what I meant!"

"Oh, it's okay, Katniss, I like you rubbing off on me too," he says cheekily.

"Well you decided that Madge wasn't bad so I guess I am!"

"True." That's all he says. 'True.'

"Gale what I meant was we were spending so much time together that we are starting to think _even more_ alike than before. Because you know we thought alike before, but you were always more vocal, I was just being vocal like you, Gale, in class, one time I said something so loud I thought someone would over hear me!"

"I get it, Catnip. Don't worry I'm sure you didn't say anything too loud. With all our time in the woods we think that a normal voice is loud."

"He's right, you know, Katniss. You always speak quietly."

"Wow," Gale says, "We agreed on two things on one day!"

We all laugh. And then Delly sits with us again, and it's awkward, because we all know she's sad, she knew Peeta the best, and had a crush on him, probably loved him. And she doesn't even know that he likes/liked me. Which I can't even think about, especially with her around. But Delly is such a nice person, and needs some friends right now, even though I think we make up the weirdest group of friends ever, that I couldn't find it in my heart to send her away. Maybe her other friends are too annoying with trying to make her feel better. Gale, Madge and I are usually quiet. But I still bring something up. "So, Delly, you know that the scores are tomorrow, you can see how well the Gamemakers thought Peeta did," I say in a kind voice. "And then a couple days later are the interviews, he'll talk about home, maybe he will talk about you, you're really close, right?"

"Yeah, we are, we've been like best friends since we were little kids. I miss him a lot." She looks down and I bet that she's got tears in her eyes. I can't stand it if she cries.

"Don't worry about it Delly, I'm sure everything will be fine most of the tributes are scrawny."

"But I know Peeta, and he won't want to kill anybody."

Okay, she's starting to get on my nerves, if I felt like she felt I wouldn't annoy anyone with my whining, I would just go sit by myself, and even before we were dating, Gale would eventually come over and just hold me, not asking me any questions and not telling me anything good, unless he knew what was wrong and knew something that could make it better. And if I was at home Prim would hold me. But she would try to make me feel better. She and I are just much more different that Gale and I emotionally.

"I'm sure Peeta won't _want_ to kill anybody. Nobody but the nasty Careers want to kill people but he'll probably have to if he wants to make it home. Just don't think about it until something happens, okay?" I say kind of forcefully. "Take each day as it comes."

"You're right, Katniss, I'm sorry."

Great, now I feel bad. "Don't worry about either thing, alright?"

She just nods. Thank god. We finish our lunches in the allotted half hour time period that we're allowed without anymore talking. Thankfully. I think if Delly weren't sitting at the table that we would be talking a little bit, or maybe even a lot, probably me talking about Gale's going-to-be-job, because I'm so excited about it and the fact that he won't have to work in the horrible mines that don't hold coal for me, they hold horrible memories. When lunch is over we stand up, me and Madge are going to class together, more boring last day of school stuff, so I'll probably just make a list of what Gale has built what he can build and what else he can do, skills he has and the like. But before I part from him he bends down, puts his hands around my back and I put mine around his neck and he gives me a short but deep kiss, one full of love. "I'll see you later, Catnip, I love you."

"See you after class, and I love you, too, Gale."

After we leave Madge jokes, "You guys are disgusting." We laugh.

"I never, ever, thought I would be like that with a guy. Ever. But with Gale it's just so natural. I never thought it could be this way, it's amazing. I hope you find you're soul mate someday too, Madge."

"So you think you really are soul mates? I'm not saying you're not, I'm just wondering what you really think."

"If you had asked me before, I would have said no. I just thought that Gale was the best friend I could have, no offense, Madge," I pause.

"None taken, I've always known you were closer to him than me, it's no big deal."

"But you have to know you're in my top three friends. My sister, Gale, and you."

"Thanks, Katniss."

"Yeah, so anyway, I thought he was the best friend I could possibly have, who understood everything about me, sometimes even knew what I think even before I did, and I thought that was from being hunting partners. In the woods you have to be silent if you don't want to scare off game, so we would communicate with each other just using our eyes, and some hand motions. But then when I overheard what Posy had said and Gale had confirmed, I processed all my feelings and realized that for a long time I had loved him. I just didn't know it yet. But then I did when he told me his feelings, I knew I returned them. It was just natural, like I said. And now I start thinking back on when my dad died, and how my mom just went away, and I can almost understand it. I would probably do it if something happened to Gale now, which is one of the major reasons why I don't want him going in the mines, but I also don't have two very young daughters to take care of. So I can, but at the same time can't understand why my mother left us. I know she loved my father but people always talk about motherly instinct. And about how motherly instinct rules. But I think my mother loved my father more than she loved and loves us. I know she's trying now. And I'm trying better to forgive her, now that I know that I would be broken without Gale. But I can never fully forgive her."

"Wow."

"I'm sorry, I talked too much, didn't I?"

"No, it's just you've never really told me so in depth about your feelings about your mother. I can't blame you for how you feel though."

"Thanks. I think if you don't mind actually listening, or just doodling, that I'm going to make a list about Gale's abilities so I don't forget any of them when we go to the carpenter's shop."

"No problem, I felt like doodling anyway."

"What of?" I ask.

"That Victor from last year, the hot one from District 7?"

"He was hot, Gale's hotter though," I wink. "Maybe if Peeta wins, and that Victor... what was his name?"

"Robert Winters, but during his interview he said he liked to be called 'Bobby'," she answers.

"Wow, you remember his interview, it's true love or obsession. I hope for your sake it's true love. And he has all that money from winning!"

"You know I don't care about that," she says sounding offended.

"Of course I know, Madge, I just meant that maybe he could put some of his money of use in our community, if you guys get together and he wants to stay here with you, or you could want to go over to 7 and stay with him," I wink.

"Oh, shush up and write your list," she hisses.

I laugh, "Yes, I'll do that. But I want to see the picture after, if you don't mind, I want to see how good you draw. I can tell you that I can't draw at all. But I want to know if you can."

"...Okay. I'll show you at the end of class. Because then it's home, or in your case a job interview."

"Ah! You're right, I need to start my list now." So, now, a hour and a half later class is over, and so is my list. I don't think I remembered everything, but it seems like I am remembering things like as something reminds me of them. Like the eggs reminding me of the chickens, that reminded me of Gale building the chicken coop, things like that. I ask Madge to show me her drawing, she does. It's lovely.

"Madge, do you know how good of an artist you are? He is kind of hot, but I still prefer Gale." The guy, Bobby, she drew in pencil, it was a very realistic drawing. It looked like he had brownish hair, it was hard to tell since it was all done in pencil, but the shading was really well done. His eyes looked very light, like they would be the color of ice blue. He had full lips, and a perfectly straight and narrow nose. He was handsome. I didn't know if Madge would ever meet him, but I hoped for my friend that she would and they would fall in love. How girly of me. We both put our stuff into our bags and stand up.

"By the way, Katniss, I've been meaning to mention all day how good your hair looked."

"Thanks!" I say, "I had Hazelle do it this morning for me. Does it look  
'nice and innocent'? Like I couldn't shoot anything with a bow and arrow?"

"It looks just like you want it to," she answers. Good. We walk out of class together and say goodbye, I tell her I'll come over soon with some strawberries and we can make plans of going out into the woods. She agrees, and then I see Gale.

"Gale!" I yell, he was looking toward the doors but I had already left, "Over here!"

He turned around and smiled at me, and I ran up to him. Not too fast, I didn't want to look desperate. Even though I really wanted to see him. "Are you ready?" I ask.

"Yes, Catnip, I am, I'm excited about it, too. Your excitement is rubbing off on me. And, no, I don't mean it that way." He was teasing about the rubbing but not about his excitement.

"You're going to do great, I'm sure of it. Let's pick up the kids, quick, I want to hurry!" I am so excited! He won't have to work in the mines, I just know it. I took his left hand in my right, our new arrangement I guess, it felt right to be on his left side. The side where his heart was. We walked quietly, I was trying to contain my excitement, I would probably tremble with excitement if I was going to let myself act like a fool. But I wouldn't let myself do that. We stopped at the kids school and the first thing Vick did was apologize to me. It was nice, but I kind of wanted him to be angry at me for a while, maybe it would stop his crush on me. I'd have to tell Rory to work overtime and I would put in some good words for him to Prim. That would work.

"Everybody, Gale, Katniss, Rory, and especially Prim, I'm sorry for how I acted this morning. I was just angry I guess."

Gale being the oldest brother talked to him. "That was nice to apologize, Vick, but you don't want to _have_ to apologize, you just want to try to be nice all the time. Now let's get going or Katniss is going to kill me for being late to the carpenter's, even though we didn't set a time." He looked sideways at me.

I just shrugged. I wanted him to get this job as soon as possible.

"By the way, Catnip, did you write a list of the things I've done and can do?" Gale asked me, I was confused, would that make him mad? It shouldn't I'm only trying to help.

"Yes of course, I didn't want to forget anything, but I still think I did forget a few things, I'll try to remember them on the way. Why, are you angry? I'm only trying to list your skills so you can get the job easier, I'm only trying to help you." I say, I can't imagine why he would be angry with me, but it was a strange question.

"Of course not, Catnip, I'm actually very happy you wrote out a list." He turned to Rory, "That'll be two coins, Rory."

"Why does everyone bet on what I'll do?! First the Hob, then our little baby sisters, now you and Rory?!"

"I just wanted to show Rory that I knew you better, Catnip."

"Since you were betting about me, the coins are mine." I say authoritatively. I need to save money for pelts and things for my 16th birthday.

Rory sighed and handed two coins over to me. "Rory, what the hell?" Gale asked.

"She looked like she would kick my ass if I didn't hand over the money," he answered, and I laughed hard.

"You're damn right I would have," I joke.

"Have you ever thought of a life of robbery?" Rory asks, "You would be good at it."

At this point we had continued walking. And I noticed that Prim was walking very close to Rory. How cute. "No, Rory," I answer. "Gale and I already break the law almost every single day by going out and shooting," I lower my voice and make it sarcastic, "_the Capitol's animals, on the Capitol's property_." We all laugh. "Now remember not to talk like that in a group of people you don't know, or around the Peacekeepers, they don't mind me and Gale, and I was thinking about teaching you to shoot, Rory, when Gale gets his job, Gale can teach you to do the snares, I bet you have the same talent that your father had and Gale has. I can't do them well."

"Aw," he says, "that would be so cool! Would you really teach me?!"

"Yes I would, but again, I can't teach you Gale's snares, I'm just not good at them. But I'm way better with a bow and arrow than him," I smirk at Gale and wink at Rory. "I started going out real young with my father, when he taught me how to shoot. You're just a little smaller than me, I know, because I'm small and your family has the giant genes," I joke, "but I think I'll start you off with my first bow, it's easiest to use and easiest to get better with, then we'll move up to bigger bows with stronger string strength."

"Oh, my, god, that's so awesome! You know I already shot a turkey, though right?"

"Yes, Rory that was only a couple of days ago, but how many things did you try to shoot before hitting the turkey, and be honest."

"I lost count," he admits.

"That's fine, that's just why you need a teacher. My father taught me, and I taught Gale. Like he tried to teach me snares. I can do a few, but they're not nearly as good as his." I looked up at Gale and smiled. He smiled back at the compliment.

"Okay, ladies, and gentle-boys," Gale said, "we're home, and me and Katniss are going to head back out to try to get me this job! You guys all wish me luck!"

They all did, "Hey, Rory, would you mind walking Prim home for me? I would really appreciate it. I want to get to the carpenter's shop as soon as possible with Gale." I wink at him when Prim isn't looking.

He smiles widely at me, knowing that I'm giving him a chance to be alone with Prim without any younger kids. "Yeah, I don't mind doing that at all, as long as Prim doesn't mind me walking her."

Oh, he's good. Gale wasn't this gentlemanly at this age. Prim blushes, "Of course, I don't mind at all, Rory, I think it's really nice of you to offer." Well he didn't really offer Prim, I think, I asked because that's what he wanted to do.

"I'll carry your bag for you, Prim. A man, should always carry a lady's things." He's very good.

Prim blushes even harder, "Well," she says shyly looking down, "if you insist."

"I do," Rory insisted. And they headed out the door, Rory holding it open for Prim.

"He's every bit a gentleman," I say.

"He really, really, likes Prim," Gale says.

"Well now that I set up that little walk, let's get going, Gale. You're hair and clothes still look very handsome. Does my dress and hair still look okay?" I would have asked Posy first to make her feel good, but she's taking a nap and will be waking up anytime now, so we have to go before we get sucked into her sweetness.

"You're hair looks just as beautiful as this morning and your dress still looks surprisingly white considering the district we live in," he jokes. "But seriously, you look gorgeous."

I smile, "Thank you, Gale. I'll carry the smaller bag if you want."

"Well, according to my gentlemanly brother a man should always carry a lady's things." He smiles

"Well, this lady would like to point out that these are the man's things, and that she wants him and herself both to have a free hand so they can hold them together." I counter.  
"Well... when you put it that way," he picks up the smaller bag and hands it to me, I hold it in my left hand, "here you go, my lady." And he bows.

I smile, "Why thank you, sir." Gale puts the bigger bag in his right hand before holding the door open for me and shutting it, when he walks the couple steps up to me on the street he holds out his left and and I hold out my right and we connect them in the middle, our fingers laced together. It's about a fifteen minute comfortable pace walk to town where the carpenter's shop is. We walk in comfortable silence for about five minutes before I start gushing again about him getting his job. Well, I don't _really_ gush I just start talking about things we'll do with the shop once we own it. Because I won't even consider the thought that he won't get the job, and that's the first thing I tell him. "There's no way you won't get the job, with all your skill and raw talent," I tell him.

"Katniss, I have to say you're belief in me is flattering. But I'm a little nervous. We just whipped these up last night. What if he doesn't like them?"

I didn't think Gale would be nervous, but it makes perfect sense, he doesn't want to work in the mines anymore than I want him to. "That's why I've thought of other things that you have built or fixed. And we can tell him that he can assign you some jobs to do while he watches you work, so he can see how amazing you are. Because you _are_ amazing, Gale, and I love you even if you don't get this job. But still try really hard, okay?" I try to joke.

"Anything for you, Catnip. 'Hawthorne's Home-Goods', right? Distant future Mrs. Hawthorne."

I laugh at the 'distant future' he put in front of Mrs. Hawthorne. He's trying to keep me happy. But the more I'm with him and the more I think about the future the shorter the time I want to wait to get married. Obviously not while I'm fifteen, right now. But maybe when I'm eighteen. A legal adult, out of the pool for the Hunger Game Tributes. "Yes. 'Hawthorne's Home-Goods," I say back. "It sounds like a good name, I think, don't you?"

"The best name," he says. Then, "Wait did you mean 'Hawthorne's Home-Goods' or Katniss Hawthorne?"

I laugh. "Both, I guess," I say boldly.

He looks down on me with a tender look on his face. "Both names are perfect."

"There it is," I say, a small shop seemingly looming over us because it is the difference between a great and guaranteed life for Gale and I, or back on the streets looking for something for Gale to do when he ages out of the reaping. No big deal, right? That's what I try telling myself.

"Well, let's go in there," he says, but neither of us move.

"Yes," I say determinedly, "let's go in there as a team." We walk through the doors.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I am so, so sorry for the delay! It simply wouldn't upload, so today I was determined to perhaps make a new document of just chapter 12 and send it through the FFN support to have them upload it for me, and when I was reading what I should do I saw that if a file was too big it would upload. This chapter would have been the longest one I had uploaded, a little over 12,000 words, but because it wouldn't upload I tried just a part of the chapter, and well.. ta da! Again I'm super sorry for the delay, but I'll upload the rest of the chapter in a couple hours! Read & enjoy!**

**Katniss**  
The shop smells like wood, which makes perfect sense, it also smells like paint, or something like paint, I think it's the stuff they put over the wood to keep it from rotting longer and to make it shiny. The man at the counter isn't super old, but building is a hard job on the body. Very physical. He's probably around sixty or so. That's an old age for District 12. His name tag said Richard, and the sign on the store front said Freeman's Furniture, so I went ahead and assumed his name was Richard Freeman.

"What may I do to help you two?," Richard asked.

**Gale**  
"Well, sir, I was wondering if you had an apprenticeship open, or would think about having one?"

"Hmm, let me think about that. Can you show me an example of what you can do, what was your name, son?"

"My name's Gale, Gale Hawthorne, and this is my girlfriend Katniss Everdeen, she's here for moral support. And yes, I have some examples of things I can do."

"You see, sir," Katniss started, "We come from the Seam, and well there, there are not many job opportunities. Most men, and a lot of women go down to work in the mines. But the mines scare me to death, sir."

Katniss was definitely working the innocent act. "Call me Richard, dear, that is my name."

"As long as you're sure, Richard," she looks down shyly as if she shouldn't call a Merchant by his first name. She was acting perfectly.

"I insist," he tells her.

She smiles shyly at him. "Well, you see, Richard, they mines scare me to death because both Gale and I's fathers died in a mine explosion when I was eleven. There wasn't even anything left to bury. My mother, she was so heartbroken that she didn't even take care of me and my little sister, Prim. We almost starved to death until I met Gale, here, who is a couple years older than me, and his mother, while heartbroken, didn't go into the state my mother did, so she fed us. And after a while my mother started to get better. But I only associate bad things with the mines, Richard. My father dying, my mother mentally leaving my little sister and I, and starving nearly to death. The only good thing that happened was that I met Gale and his family. We've been best friends ever since." She looked at me under her eyelashes and smiled, I smiled back. "We just recently started dating, something our families both said was a long time coming." She chuckles in the right spot. "And we were talking about the future just the other day, and I told Gale, that he could not work in the mines. My heart couldn't take it. And I thought of all his qualities that could be put into work. And then I thought of this flower he carved in a piece of wood for me, it was a katniss blossom for me, and it looked very accurate and detailed. So I thought, he's strong, and he can carve beautiful things, he should be a carpenter! So, just last night, mind you, we got all this wood and he worked late into the night carving pieces."

I started to show him my work, he looked really impressed. "You did this all last night, Gale?"

"Yes, sir, I did. Katniss helped me a little with a few of the more intricate ones by tracing the vines and flowers, she knows all kinds of flowers. But I carved them all."

"These are very impressive indeed," Richard said.

"Thank you, sir." I had noticed he hadn't asked me to call him Richard yet, Katniss was right about having a girl, a pretty girl, there to help you sell your product, like the models in the Capitol, except that Katniss looked like a real person still, and always would. Not done up with surgeries and fake things with jewels. No, she was 100 percent natural, beautiful Katniss, without even a bit of make up on. Just a pretty dress and her hair done up nice.

"Please, son, you can call me Richard." I took this as a good sign, it seemed Katniss did to because while he was looking at my work her lips upturned just slightly.

"Thank you, Richard."

"We were thinking, Richard, that it would be a good idea to cater to both parts of the district. Since we're both from the Seam, we know what it's like to be poor, and not have many things. And I happen to be friends with the Mayor's daughter Madge, and I've been to their house a few times, and they have some beautiful furniture, so I know what people with money would like also."

Richard seemed interested in this story. "You've been to the Mayor's house, hmm? Well that's interesting. I've sold a few pieces to him, but I would love to get more business from him, and the more wealthy people in town. Do you know if he needs anything?" He asks her.

"Well, the last time I was there for supper, which, I'll admit was a while ago now, at least six months, Madge prefers to 'have adventures' with me, but the last time I was there they were looking for a new dining room table set with chairs. Their's was getting quite old, he was saying, and he wanted a new one within the distant future. I wasn't sure when though, or if he's gotten it yet. All I know is that he liked the one he had it was just getting too old."

"Could you describe it to me, dear?" I hoped that he didn't sell that dining room table set in the first place because Katniss was making this all up.

"Yes, he had a rectangular table, it was rather big, but everything's seem big to us in the Seam," she joked, I could tell she was nervous, but we were good at reading people. Richard seemed genuinely interested, but it could have been to see if Katniss was lying or he really wanted to know what type of table the mayor had. Luckily we were friends with the mayor now so we could warn him. "When I commented on how big it was, he said there was actually something underneath the table that could enlarge it even further. Something like, you pulled the two ends of the table apart and a piece that was underneath would come out of the middle, it was very interesting. The tabletop itself was smooth, of course, but the edges were carved, I can't remember the pattern. The legs were kind of curved, and had what they call 'claw feet'?" She asked as a question, and it could have been a question, why would you want claws as table leg feet? But Richard just nodded for her to continue. "The chairs, also obviously were smooth to sit on, but there were carvings on the back, where you, you know, rested your back." She was making this up as she went along but she was making it seem like she was perfectly uninformed, but had some knowledge. "The carvings went into the wood, so nothing was sitting into anyone's back," she laughed, "and there were two knobs on the tops of the chairs on either side. They matched the claw feet on the bottom of the table legs." Maybe she did know what she was taking about when she said 'claw feet'. "The chair legs were also just smaller versions of the table legs." She nodded. "That's about all I remember."

"Well that sounds like a beautiful piece. It must have taken months to make." Richard looked like he was thinking to himself, and then studied my carvings more.

Katniss jumped in for the kill. "Gale doesn't just carve things. He made the fence in front of his house, with cheap wood, even, and it's still standing, looking brand new. And he made his family's chicken coop, along with a little pen for my little sister's goat, Lady. Oh, and he put up a wall in his house, so one room turned into two!" She said excitedly. "He also built the table my mother uses to lay her patients on, she's a healer, you see." That last bit was a lie but the table was very simply constructed and I _could_ build it easily. "Plus, he's done tons of repairs around both of our houses. He fixed a couple of our cabinets, and I don't even know how many things he has fixed at his house. At least the bench we used last night to work on and a window his little brother Rory accidentally threw a rock through. Getting the actual window was hard though, you know, since we live in the Seam, neither of our families have a lot of money. We just get by. My mother's a healer for people in the Seam, and his mother does people's laundry." She was playing the pity card too, how many cards did my Catnip have?!

"I just want to have a job that doesn't scare my Katniss. I know I'm going to marry her one day," we smile lovingly at each other, it wasn't fake at all.  
"You better, mister!" She laughs.

"I want to be able to support her and the children we'll eventually have, we've both always wanted kids." For Katniss' benefit her loving smile didn't even flinch when I mentioned we both 'always wanted kids.' Hell she even went further.

"I personally want a boy first, that looks just like Gale, and then two girls. They'll be a mixture of both of us, I hope." She smiles big.

"I have a kid sister, Posy, my mom was pregnant and about to have her when our fathers died." Katniss really looked sad at this point. "She's three and a half now, and she wants us to get married right away, of course we can't, because Katniss is only fifteen, and I'm only seventeen, and when we said we weren't getting married for a few years at least she was so upset that Katniss wouldn't be her sister. But Katniss has such a way with her, a wonderful motherly instinct that I think kicked in when she had to take care of her little sister all by her self when our fathers died and her mother went into a deep depression, but she was so good with Posy saying that she could still be her sister now. Because she always wanted another little sister, one that looked like her too. Katniss' sister Prim, looks like their mother who was a merchant, so she has blonde hair and blue eyes."

"They couldn't look more out of place in the Seam," Katniss laughs. "I suppose we'd look out of place here, but if it gives Gale a safe and steady job, I couldn't care less if we got looks or anything. I just want him safe. He's the love of my life," She said with soft eyes. "I simply can not have him working in the mines where our very own fathers died, and where people get injured all the time. The mine's doctors write them off, because they know they're going to die, but the families that hold onto hope, however little the hope is, end up bringing them to my house, to my mother's healing room, and I have to run out of the house, I can't stand it. I just can't let him have an unsafe job, and he'd be real good at this one, and work really hard, and he'd learn everything he could from all your knowledge, if you give him a job. Please just give him a chance," she has tears and her eyes and she's bent over a little looking at him because he's sitting in a stool, and has her arms and hands together as if begging and praying at the same time. She could get the moon from this man if she wanted.

Richard had tears in his eyes too, but was furiously trying to blink them away. "Well, I've looked at his work, and it's wonderful, what did you use to carve these with?" he asks me.

"The only thing I had, a hunting knife," I answer honestly because Katniss is lying enough for the both of us, though, really only white lies, except the part about the kids, and I think that if I had used something better that they would look neater, which they would. I just don't have the right tools.

"Well, if you can make things look this good with just a hunting knife I know you could make absolutely beautiful pieces if you had the right tools for the job. And if we make a really intricate piece maybe your girlfriend, here, Katniss, was it?" She nods. "Maybe Katniss could come in and do that tracing you said she did, because those pieces are especially beautiful. Would you be willing to do that, dear?" He asked Katniss.

"Anything for Gale. You see, I know all these plants because my mother comes from a merchant apothecary," she pauses. "Can I tell you a secret, you can't really use it against him, since he's dead, but I still don't want everyone to know."

"Of course I can keep a secret, Katniss." Richard says kindly, I believe him.

"My father, he used to go hunting in the woods, that's how he fed us when we were little and why I had such a hard time adjusting, that and my mother was so depressed because she was so in love with him. I'm starting to understand her better because I love Gale so much. But my father met my mother in her parent's shop because my father would pick medicinal plants and herbs to bring in to trade. She eventually went with him one day, and you see, my father had the most beautiful voice. He taught me how to sing, but I haven't done it often since he's died. Anyway he would sing and the mockingjays would all stop to listen. Every last one, and then after he was done his song, they would all sing it back, and people say that's when my mother fell in love with my father, because he could make the birds stop and listen. He was from the Seam so she went to live with him and had me and my sister. She still does healing for people who can't afford the apothecary, she grows some of her own herbs and relies on people who will venture out into the woods to get her other plants, but they need to know what they look like or they could get something poisonous. My mother would know the difference, but it would be a bother, wouldn't it? So my mother's family has had this book for generations of medicinal plants, with their names and what they are used for and when my mother married my father he added plants for eating, and where and when to find them. So I look at all the drawings of the flowers, and I also love the Meadow, it's one of my favorite spots. Especially in the spring and summer when all the wildflowers are growing. And even weeds with flowers. I don't consider them weeds, really, they just need somewhere to grow too. Actually, it was really sweet a week or so ago, the day I started dating Gale, he asked me to meet him in the Meadow, and had picked me a whole bunch of wildflowers and that's how he asked me to date him, isn't that sweet?"

"That is a very nice way to ask a girl out, I asked my wife a very similar way," Richard started.

"Oh, what's your wife's name?" Katniss asked sweetly.

"Her name was Shirley."

"Was?" Katniss asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, she died just a few months ago, the flu, we couldn't get rid of it no matter how hard we tried. And to be honest, I just haven't felt like making anything anymore. I was planning on retiring soon, anyway, before Shirley got sick. And this just proves it. You can have an apprenticeship with me, boy. I'll teach you how to use all the tools, and since I have enough money for retirement I'll leave the store to you."

"Oh, Richard, that is simply too much to ask for!" Katniss cried.

"No, it's fate, my dear. I lost the love of my life, and two youngsters, who have just found who they are going to spend the rest of their lives together come into my shop asking for work. It's fate. I'll stay on until you get the hang of it. At the very least until you're eighteen." Richard said.

Katniss was starting to get teary-eyed now. "Rich... Richard, we can never thank you enough." And she gives him a big hug and unlike when she hugged the baker when he was sad she didn't let go for a couple minutes because the old man started crying too. "I'm so, so sorry for your loss! I know it's not the same, but, we can try to keep you company as much as we can. Can't we, Gale?"

I had started tearing up to, this man was just so, so nice, and had just lost the love of his life. Now I know how Katniss felt when I said that I would probably work in the mines. The thought of losing Katniss is making me physically ill. "Of course, we will. Katniss, maybe you can have someone you know how to draw make copies of the pictures of the plants in your family's book, so we can have our own copy so we don't have to keep borrowing your mother's, especially when she might need it."

Katniss had pulled away from Richard but was holding one of his hands with both of hers, I could tell she was as touched as I was. "It's sort of funny," she laughs with a sniffle, "I learned just today that Madge is an exceptional artist. She draws and sketches very life like. Maybe she can even do color, that would help with the different colored flowers, and even some of the plants since some are different colors of green."

"Madge," Richard asked, "the mayor's daughter?"

"Yes, she's the friend I sit with in all my classes. We get along very well. Today during our last class, I was making a list of things that Gale had done and could do for this job, you see, I wanted to be prepared. And she was sketching last year's Hunger Games winner, she thinks he's really cute. His name's Bobby Winters. The way she drew him was very life like and he was attractive but I said, 'I still think Gale is much more handsome.'"

"That's very lucky you found out Madge could draw today even though you've known her for so long," I say, because it's true, has Madge never drawn in front of Katniss before?

"I know, it's very strange," Katniss says back.

"It's not strange, it's fate." Richard says with a sense of finality.

"Richard I hate to ask questions after all this emotional stuff just happened, but Merchants usually live over their shops, will you be living here while Gale and I commute?"

"No, actually. I'll live here for a while, maybe until you turn nineteen or twenty, Gale if that's okay?" Richard asks as if we would deny him.

"'Is that okay?'" Katniss asks in a sarcastic joking voice, but kind of sternly. "I'd be insulted if you left us here all alone. You've given more than anyone has ever given us. Of course you can live here." She pauses. "But out of curiosity where were you planning on going?"

"My last big project was to build a little cabin by the edge of the District, close to the fence so I can see the forest."

"Well count us in on helping you build it," I say for both Katniss and I because I know she will want to help too.

"Oh, no, there's no need," Richard tries to say.

Katniss stops him. "Oh, well, there's no need to give us a complete business, and help us learn the ropes. But that's what you're doing. So we'll be helping you build your cabin with everything you want in it."

"I agree with Katniss. And, Katniss it's getting kind of late. We should go soon." I look apologetically at Richard.

"It's fine kids, you have families to go home to."

"Thank you for everything, Richard. Now I won't have to worry about losing Gale in the mines, I know I'll rest easier."

"Goodbye," I say, "We'll see you on Sunday!"

"Goodbye, you two, I'm looking forward to it."


	13. Chapter 13

**Gale**

We don't walk hand in hand down the darkening streets, I have my arm around her shoulder and her pulled as close to me as possible while letting her still be able to walk. She was keeping her head kind of tucked down into me. I don't think she wants people to know she's been so emotional. But you can kind of tell when she talks, but it was getting better.

"We need to talk to the mayor," Katniss surprises me by saying.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I made up that thing about the table before I realized what a nice man Richard was. I want to tell him about it and ask him if anyone asks he got a new table already, and we need to ask Madge about sketching the book," she says. Well that makes sense, I don't think Richard would ask about the table but I think Katniss feels bad about lying about it now.

"Okay, we'll do that," I agree.

"But first let's stop at my house and say we'll be gone a while longer, we can tell my mother and Prim the good news last, because you're house is closer to the mayor's and I can write down what I said about the table so he knows incase anyone asks while we tell your family the wonderful news," she says.

"That sounds like a good plan," I say. "So stop in your house real quick to say we'll be by later, then my house where we'll tell my family and you'll write down about the table to give to the mayor. And then go to the mayor's house to ask Madge about drawing a second copy of the book and give the mayor your table description and tell him why you lied." I summarize.

"Yes," she says and she looks down more. "Now, I feel so bad about lying. The other things weren't really lies, except Rory never threw a rock through your window, but I know you _could_ fix that if you wanted to. But I didn't really know Richard at the time, and he seemed so interested about the mayor's furniture."

"I know you feel bad, Katniss, you were just trying to help me, so you can blame me if you want," I joke trying hard to lighten the mood.

"I wouldn't blame you, I decided what I would say. But I guess what's done is done. I can't take it back, and I don't want Richard to know I lied to him. He seems so nice and trusting, I just didn't know what to expect, you know? He was so nice to us, I mean all he's doing for us? He already seems like he'll be like a grandfather figure to us, or at least to me," she says.

"I was thinking the same thing," I admit.

"And I know it's weird, but I always kind of thing of Greasy Sae as a weird grandmotherly figure," she laughs. And I laugh with her, I'm so glad she's laughing again.

"Well she does always seem to look out for us, doesn't she?" I say.

"Exactly," Katniss says, and she's slowing down and I realize were already at her house. I keep my hold on Katniss as we walk into the porch and she opens the door. Prim looks up and her eyes widen, of course Katniss' little sister can tell that Katniss has been close to crying.

"Katniss, are you alright?" Prim asks.

"I'm more than alright, Prim, I just met a very nice man, he made me so, so happy. Where's mom?"

"She's napping, she had a hard patient today," Prim answers.

"Oh, well I won't ask for details. But I just wanted to let her and you know that I'm going to be out for a while, but I'll come home later and Gale will be with me, and we have some wonderful news."

I'm sure Prim knows what it is because she's smirking. "Well I can't wait to here it. Come back as soon as you can!"

"Okay, Prim, we'll probably be back in a couple of hours, it's news worth waking mom over."

Prim looks like she's going to explode but she plays good and just says, "I can't wait, so go! Go, go! Hurry and do the other things you have to do so you can come back here!"

"Okay, okay, Prim, we'll see you in a little while," Katniss said as Prim practically threw us out the door and slammed it closed. "She knows what's going on, she's just being polite as she can so we can tell her ourselves," Katniss says.

"Oh, I figured," I answer. And we walk in a comfortable silence to my house, Katniss still tucked in under my arm which is around her. Her face has hardly any signs that she's was upset now, which is good, I know just how much she hates feeling weak. When we got to my house it didn't look like she was upset at all. We walked in, but even though she looked like her strong self again, I still kept her tucked into my side.

"Oh, you guys are back," my mother said, "wonderful! Tell us what happened!"

Katniss and I sat on the couch with my mother while Rory pulled over a kitchen chair, and plopped Posy on his lap, and Vick followed Rory by pulling over his own kitchen chair.

"Before we start, Hazelle," Katniss says, "Could I please have a piece of paper, something to write on, and something to write with?"

"Of course, dear," my mother gets up and gets everything Katniss asked for. "Here you go, Katniss."

"Thank you very much, Hazelle." Katniss got to writing very quickly what she had said about 'the mayor's dining room table set and chairs'.

"So," my mother says, "I can't said my curiosity any longer, tell me-" Rory cleared his throat, "tell us," my mother corrected, "what happened!"

Katniss nods to me to tell the story, she'll probably interrupt several times with things I've forgot or just things she wants to add but she's busy writing at the moment. "Well, the first thing we learned was that the store was called Freeman's Furniture, and it's owned by a nice man named Richard Freeman.

"We walked in and the man, Richard, was behind the counter sitting on a stool and asked us if he could help us. And I said, 'I was wondering if you had an apprenticeship open, or would think about having one.' He thought about it and asked if I had any examples of what I could do, and I told him I did and introduced Katniss as my girlfriend and moral support." Katniss nodded and smiled. "And then Katniss started on her 'act' which was surprisingly not really an act, it was how she felt but she used a different tone of voice, acted more innocent, and told a couple of lies. Mostly just exaggerations."

Katniss rolled her eyes, "I was being really polite, is what Gale is _trying_ to say. I told Richard that we came from the Seam and that there aren't many job opportunities here, -which is true. And that most men and a lot of women end up working in the mines, but that the mines scared me, -which is also true." Katniss admitted. My mom knew, of course, but the rest of the family didn't.

It was Posy who asked the question that was on the kids' minds. "You're afraid of the mines, Katniss? I didn't think you were afraid of anything. You're so tough, but you're still pretty too. You're tough and pretty!"

Katniss smiled at Posy's innocence, "It's true, I'm not afraid of most things, Posy, but I am afraid of the mines. I know you didn't know your father, Posy, but your brothers did. And both your father and my father were killed in the mines right before you were born," Katniss explained in a kind voice, because she knew it would be hard for Posy to understand. Posy knew I wasn't her father, but she kind of looked up to me as one. "The mines are dark and dangerous," Katniss continued. "And lots and lots of people get hurt down there. If people are badly hurt, and the mine doctors don't think they'll get better, the miner's families will bring them to my mother, because she's a healer, you know how she helps you when you get sick?" Posy nods, looking serious for a three and a half year old. "Well, when the mine doctors' don't think someone will get better, sadly they're usually right. So I don't like the mines. They're too dangerous for people. That's why I didn't want Gale to work down there. In fact I don't want Rory or Vick to work down there when they get older either. I actually have an idea for them," she looks right into my eyes and I know what she's thinking. Hawthorne's Home-Good's can be a family business, if they want to work there. I nod, I understand. She continues, "But let's continue the story first okay?" Katniss says and Posy nods again.

"Richard seemed to take to me quickly, I think because I was acting so polite, because he asked me to call him Richard almost straight away. Then I told him quite a bit of the truth. That I didn't want Gale to work in the mines because our fathers had died down there, and how my mother was afterwards, and how Prim and I almost starved to death. But instead of admitting I went hunting, I said I met Gale, and I told Richard how Gale was a couple years older than me, and how you," she nods toward my mother, "while heartbroken, didn't go into the state of mind my mother did, - I am still in awe of you for that, Hazelle, I really am, anyways - I said that you fed us, Prim and I, instead again of me hunting illegally. And then I was telling him that my mother started to get better, but that I only associated the mines with bad things, that I listed quickly. And I said the only good thing that happened was that I met Gale, - which is completely true - and that we had been best friends ever since," She smiled at me like she did in the store when she was talking to Richard. "And that we had just recently started dating, and told him that you guys all had seen it coming, - which is also true," she smiles. "Then I told him that we were talking about the future the other day, which we were, and I told Gale that he could not work in the mines. That my heart couldn't take it. And I started to think of all the qualities that could help him get a job, and I thought of a flower he carved for me that was very detailed. And I said that I had thought, he's strong, and he can carve beautiful things, he should be a carpenter! And I told him that, 'just last night, mind you, we carved all these pieces!' Because at this point Gale had taken out all the pieces and was showing them to Richard."

"Richard was very impressed with all the pieces I'd made, and seemed surprised that I had done all of them in one night. And I told him how Katniss had helped me with a few of the more intricate pieces by tracing all the little vines and flowers, but I made sure he knew I carved them all. He was really, really impressed. Then he told _me_ I could call him Richard, I felt like he really was impressed by my work because he had let Katniss call him Richard from the very beginning. And then Katniss was saying how we were thinking of catering to both parts of the district." I say and let Katniss continue.

"I had told him that since we're both from the Seam, that we both know what it's like to be poor, and not have many things. But that I happened to be friends with Madge, - you know, the mayor's daughter, and Gale's starting to be friends with her too! - and I said I had been in their house a few times, - I've actually only been inside once, with Gale, - and I knew what fancy furniture looked like too. What people with plenty of money could buy. Anyway Richard seemed really interested in that and asked if I knew if the mayor needed anything, - so I kind of dug myself in a hole, I had to lie, and at this point I didn't know how extremely kind he was, I was just trying so hard to get Gale the job, - so I said that I hadn't been there in more than six months, but then they were thinking about their dining room set with table and chairs, and I made up a description best I could, but I also said that I didn't know if they had gotten something new since then," Katniss said.

"I was just hoping that Richard actually hadn't made and sold the table to the mayor, because he had mentioned that he had sold to the mayor a couple of times. But Katniss was making it sound very believable," I say.

"Why, thank you, Gale. Then Richard just commented that it sounded like a beautiful piece and it must have taken months to make. Then I just jumped at the chance to paint Gale in the best light possible, because Richard had just seen Gale's carvings so far. So I told Richard about your fence, the chicken coop, and Lady's little pen, and how he put up that wall to make one room into two. And I lied a little, and I say a little because I know Gale could have built it easy, I told him that Gale had built he table my mother puts her patients on."

"It's funny, because when Katniss was saying that I was thinking exactly that, 'that it would have been simple to build.'" Katniss laughed, we think so much alike.

"Then I was talking about the repairs 'he'd done' most of them weren't true, but, again I know that Gale could have done them all. I swear. Then I mentioned how my mother heals for people in the Seam for a living, and how you do laundry and we just get by. And then Gale said," she looks to me to continue.

"'I just want a job that doesn't scare my Katniss. I know I'm going to marry her one day.'"

"And I said, 'You better, Mister!' And Gale said-"

"'I want to be able to support her and the children we'll eventually have, we've always wanted kids.' And I thought that Katniss was going to strangle me, but to my surprise she played right into it!"

"I said, 'I want a boy first, that looks just like Gale, and then two girls. They'll be a mixture of the both of us, I hope.' And I smiled real big"

I was smiling and my mother noticed, she knows I wants kids and probably thought me hearing Katniss say this was heaven, and it was.

"I continued, 'I have a kid sister, Posy, my mom was pregnant and about to have her when my father died.' And I think by this point that both Katniss and I realized that the truth was sad enough, and it showed him how strong we were. So I told him how Posy wanted Katniss and I to get married right away so she could be real sisters with Katniss, which she really wants."

"I do, I do want you guys to get married!" Posy interjects.

"Anyways, I told him that Posy wanted Katniss as a sister through marriage but we'd have to wait a few years because Katniss is only fifteen and I'm only seventeen, and how Posy was so upset that they wouldn't be sisters yet, and I told him about what Katniss said the other day."

"Yeah, Katniss said that we could still be sisters, even though you're not married!" Posy beamed.

"Yep," Katniss smiled at Posy.

"And I told him what Katniss said that she would love a little sister that looked like her since Prim doesn't," I say.

"And I told Richard how my mother and Prim look so out of the place in the Seam, and how I supposed that we'd look out of place there if Gale got the job, but I wouldn't care if we got weird looks or anything because I would know that Gale would have a safe job, and I just want him safe, because he's the love of my life - which is so true," She smiles at me. "- I told Richard that I simply could not have him work in the mines where our own fathers died, and where people get injured all the time, and I told him how when the miners get injured and the mine's doctors write them off as dead that no matter how little hope is left that they bring them to my house to my mother, and how I have to run out of the house because I can't stand it. And that I couldn't let Gale have an unsafe job, and he would work so hard at this one and be real good at it, and he would learn every little thing he could from Richard if he was given the chance. And I had tears in my eyes because I was telling the truth, I couldn't let Gale work in the mines, and when I looked at Richard he looked like he had tears in his eyes too."

"He did, I saw, he was so moved by you, Catnip. Then he said that my carvings were really good and asked me what I had used to make them with, and I told him that I used my hunting knife. And he said, 'If you can make things look this good with just a hunting knife I know you could make absolutely beautiful pieces if you had the right tools. And if we make really intricate pieces, like some of these, that maybe Katniss could help by tracing,' like I told him she had. And he asked her if she would be willing to do that," I start.

"And I said that I would do anything for Gale. And that I knew all sorts of plants because of our family plant book. And then I asked Richard if he could keep a secret, and he said he could, and I told him how my mother and father really fell in love. My father had hunted in the forest and brought medicinal plants to my mother's family's shop to trade, and how she went into the woods with him one time and that he sung and all the birds stopped to listen, because he had the most beautiful voice, and that was how my mother fell in love with him. And how I was starting to understand my mother better, about how she was after my father died, because I love Gale so much. And how my mother moved to the Seam to be with my father and continued her healing work. Then I told him a lie about how Gale asked me out, I said he asked me to meet him in the Meadow because it's one of my favorite spots with all the flowers, and he had picked me a big bouquet of wildflowers and asked me out. He did give me a bouquet the day after he asked me out, in real life though, so it was like half true! But then I asked Richard, 'Isn't that so sweet?' And he agreed that it was a nice way to ask a girl out and he had asked his wife out a similar way. So I asked his wife's name, and he said, 'Her name was Shirley.' I was so surprised, and I asked to make sure that I had heard him right, 'Was?' I asked. And he told us how she died a few months ago from the flu that just wouldn't go away or get better. And he said that he hadn't felt like making anything anymore, and was planning on retiring soon, anyway, before his wife had got sick. And then he said something kind of weird, 'And this just proves it,' he said. And then he said, 'You can have an apprenticeship with me, boy. I'll teach you how to use all the tools, and since I have enough money for retirement I'll leave the store to you.'"

"He's going to leave the store to you?" my mother asked unbelieving.

"Yes, he is," I say.

"I told him it was simply too much to ask for. But he said, 'No, it's fate, my dear. I lost the love of my life, and two youngsters, who have just found that they are going to spend the rest of their lives together come into my shop asking for work. It's fate. I'll stay on until you get a hand on things. At the very least until you're eighteen,' he said to Gale. And I felt like crying and almost did and said we could never thank him enough. And I hugged him and I told him how sorry I was for his loss, and it wouldn't be the same but Gale and I would try to keep him company as much as possible. And then I asked Richard where he was planning on living, because most merchants traditionally live about their shops, so I asked him if he would be living there and if Gale and I would be commuting, but he said that he would live there for a while, until Gale turned nineteen or twenty if that was okay _with us_. And I asked,_ is that okay_? I said, I'd be insulted if you left us here all alone, because he had given us more than anyone had ever given us before, and I told him, of course you can live here, but then I asked where he planned on living afterwards."

"He told us that he was planning one last big project - to build a little cabin by the edge of the fence 'so I can see the forest' he said. And I told him for Katniss and I both, because I knew Katniss would want to, that we would help him all we could with building it. And he says, 'Oh, no, there's no need.' And Katniss, being herself said, 'Oh, well, there's no need to give us a complete business, and help us learn how to run it. But that's what you're doing. So we'll be helping you build your cabin with everything you want in it.' And I agreed, of course. But then I told him we should get going. Because we have our first real date tomorrow. But right now we need to go the mayor's house, Katniss wrote down how she described the table, so if anyone asks, - which I doubt they would," I look at Katniss pointedly. She rolls her eyes. "And to tell him that if anyone asks that he already got a new table since then. We also need to ask Madge about something. I'll talk to you more about it later, mom. After we go to the mayor's we're going to Katniss' to tell her mother and Prim the good news, then I'll be home."

"Oh, I can't believe you're going to have your own business, Gale! And you won't have to work in the mines! I would have worried about you every single day! I'm so happy! I'm going to have to make something special for this Richard fellow!" My mom was so happy. "And thank you, Katniss! If you hadn't been so persistent or given him another idea for a job he probably would have worked in the mines! You are perfect for him! You put him in the right place!" My mom went over to Katniss and gave her a huge hug, which Katniss returned, and Posy seemed to think that was a good time to join the 'hugging party' because she jumped off of Rory's lap and wrapped her little arms around the back of Katniss' legs, since my mom was still claiming the front.

As much as Katniss loved my family I could tell she was starting to feel overwhelmed and she confirmed it when she said, "Ah! Um! I can't hug two people at once! I'm not that flexible!"

My mother laughed at her comment and let go, and Posy ran around to the front to give a hug and Katniss knelt down to give her one back.

I took pity on Katniss. "Well, we'd better get going," I say.

"Gale's right, we still have to give this note to the mayor, ask Madge something, and tell my mother and Prim."

"Okay," my mother says, "but I want all the details later, Gale!"

"You'll get them, ma', see you in a little while."

"Bye, everyone!" Katniss says, and they all said goodbye back.

We walked hand in hand to the Mayor's house, "You got your note?" I ask sounding serious.

"Yes, of course," Katniss says.

"You know you're not going to need that right? No one's going to ask any questions."

"You can't be sure, Gale, one question and our little lies come tumbling down!"

"You were the one that did like all the lying," I point out, it's fun to rile her up sometimes.

"Well, _sorry_, that I wanted you to get a good job so badly, one where you have such a small possibility of getting hurt, you work your own hours, and you get paid better. Excuse me."

"Catnip, I'm just teasing."

"Well, I feel bad now that I lied, even if it was a little, to Richard. He's so nice." She frowns.

"Hey, it's okay, what did you just say? You were doing it for me, so it's my fault, alright?" I knew it was really her decision, but if she needed to place the blame somewhere else, well, my shoulders we a lot bigger and wider than hers.

"Okay," she says simply.

We get to the mayor's house pretty quickly, I think Catnip is really excited about telling Prim, especially. We knock on the backdoor. It's kind of weird, because night is just starting to fall, and we are normally here with strawberries in the morning or sometimes the afternoon. The mayor answers.

"Well, Katniss, Gale, fancy seeing you two here. Do you need something?"

"Actually, we do, Mayor," Katniss says, "something from you and from Madge too, if you could get her, we could talk out here... That is, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't, I'm not doing anything right now, and I thinking Madge is just playing around with the piano. Give me a minute and we'll meet you two out here, okay?

"Yes, thank you," Katniss says.

Katniss has known Madge for a long time, and therefore has a longer history with the mayor, so I let her do most of the talking. I think I'll mention the shop, though. The mayor and Madge come out the back down to meet us.

"Well, Katniss wanted me to get a better jobs than the mines, because she hates them, and rightfully so, because of our fathers. So she had an idea about another job for me. We already told Madge about it at school."

"Katniss wanted Gale to take over for the carpenter, you know, Mr. Freeman, he's getting old," Madge says to her father.

"He's sixty-three," Katniss says.

"So I take it you talked to him, then?" The mayor asked.

"Yep, talked and got the job... actually the business. Freeman's Furniture is soon enough going to be Hawthorne's Home-Goods, Katniss thought of the name."

"Yeah, but when I was kind of talking before I knew what a kind old man Richard was, I was kind of making up a couple of things. Well I told him our idea of catering to both the Merchant class and the Seam. And I said that being friends with Madge that... Ihadkindofbeentoyourhouseafewtimes."

They heard, understood and laughed, but made Katniss say it all over again.

"I said that I had been over to your house a few times so I knew what fancy furniture looked like. And he seemed very interested and asked if I knew if you were looking for anything new, so I kind of made up that the last time I was here... fictionally... which was over six months ago, that you were talking about getting a new dining set, you know, table and chairs, and I described them. But I was making everything up. I'm so sorry," It was funny how embarrassed Katniss was, but it wasn't sorry how sorry she was, because she was truly sorry, you could tell. She wouldn't look anywhere near their faces.

But I was very thankful because the mayor just laughed and laughed. "Oh, Katniss, don't worry about it. Please, your strawberries far more than make up for lying about my dining room set."

Katniss still wouldn't look at him. Oh, my poor Catnip she felt so bad. "Well, I wrote down how I described it, and if anyone asks that isn't your friend or whatever maybe you could tell them you got a new dining room set?" She asked as her head was still down holding the piece of paper out. It seems she wasn't done. "I'm so sorry! I don't like to lie, it's just he seemed so interested, and I wanted Gale to get the job so badly, I didn't think of what I was doing, are you sure you forgive me, because we also need Madge's help because she's such an amazing artist!"

The mayor looked at his daughter, "You draw?"

Madge blushed, "Oh, my, god, Madge, I'm so sorry! I didn't know that he didn't know! Oh, I am just getting everything wrong today, except getting Gale his job!"

"It's okay, Katniss, I just draw in my spare time, nothing serious, that's why my father doesn't know."

"So you're not mad?" Oh, Catnip.

"No, of course not! Yeah, daddy, I sketch a bit, with pencils. I use colored pencils too, sometimes. Katniss saw one of my drawings today in class. She was making a list of what Gale could do while I drew."

"Well, apparently my daughter has many talents!" The mayor was proud of Madge you could tell. "And don't worry Katniss, I'll look at this note and see what you said. You probably described a nicer table than the one we have."

Now Katniss blushed. "Oh, I doubt it, sir. But I'll bring you extra strawberries next time because I included you in a lie without your permission. Not that I lie often anyways! I usually tell the truth that's why so many people don't like me!"

"Katniss, you're just candid, it's not a bad thing. Unless a fat girl asks if she looks fat and you say yes, because it's true," Madge said laughing. She got Katniss laughing too, thank goodness. "So what do you want me to draw?"

"Well, you see, my mother has a book of medicinal plants that has been passed down for generations, and then my father added eatable plants. All of them have a detailed drawing, color would be helpful, with a description, and where and when to find the plants. Gale and I will need our own copy, is all. I got a lot of the flowers I traced onto the wood from the books, and it's a good thing for a household to have, even though Gale and I won't be living together for sometime. We could work on it over the summer. And then, longer if it takes longer. We could pay you in strawberries." Katniss suggests.

Even though I believe that Madge would have helped her friend the strawberries seem to make the decision easy for her, "Okay!"

"We can work from my family's book, but I can get fresh samples of most things, especially over time. Because you know, some things grow in the spring, some in the summer, and some in the fall. But we have old sketches that are good to start by anyway, if all that sounds alright with you?"

Madge nods, "It all sounds fine, but you also still need to show me how to shoot."

"Oh, yeah I forgot about that. Of course. But before shooting lessons there comes lessons on how to walk quietly in the woods." Katniss says, seemingly going into her own world thinking about teaching Madge. I grin at the mayor and his daughter.

The mayor coughs, "Well, Katniss, don't worry I'm not at all mad about your little fib. But free strawberries will be nice. How about a free quart? Anymore than that and I'll pay you for them. I know how hard you work."

Katniss looks touched. "That sounds like a very nice offer, thank you, and, again I'm sorry for lying about your dinner table."

He laughs. "There are _much_ worse things to lie about. Goodnight, you two. And congratulations." He shakes my hand. The mayor shook my hand. Wow. "If you're all set with Madge I think she should come inside too."

"We all set?" Madge asks Katniss.

"Yep, all set, talk to you later, Madge."

"Bye, Katniss."

"Now, off to tell the Everdeen's the good news," I say, as the mayor and his daughter are walking back inside.

"Yep, off to tell my family."

**Katniss**  
So now we're off to my house to tell my mother and Prim the good news.

"I was glad for your sake that the mayor wasn't mad at you, Catnip. I thought you'd start crying. I know that when it turns on for you it's hard to turn off. But you see, nothing bad happened! Everything good seems to be happening since I've been with you. We should have started dating the moment we met," Gale says.

"Gale, I was so far from attractive I wouldn't even call myself gorgeous now. Back then I was a scrawny twelve year old."

"Well you were kind of skinny. But you were twelve and you were feeding your whole family since your mom hadn't really come back yet. For a twelve year old you were alright."

"You looked like a man."

"Us Hawthornes' have giant genes, remember?"

"Oh, yes. And I suppose I have tiny genes. And you know, you scared me so bad when we first met, I was too stubborn to let it show-"

"Well _that_ doesn't sound like you at all."

I ignore his rude interruption, "But then you smiled, and I wanted to know you. But since my mom had gone, I didn't want to trust _anyone_."

"Yeah, I noticed how long it took to trust me. And you don't have_ tiny genes_ you have perfect genes. You fit perfect to me. So I think your genes are amazing."

"Well that's nice. But my whole family was small... Well I can't really remember my dad with any accuracy because I was much smaller back then, but he was probably normal."

"I met your dad once or twice when he was talking to my dad. He wasn't as tall as I am, but he wasn't little either. You and Prim probably just take after your mom."

"Again, you have giant genes. I'm glad I don't take after my mom emotionally."

"Well you thought you would never love someone."

I don't say anything, I know what he's getting at, I love him, even though for years I said I wouldn't love anyone except for Prim. "You're different. I can't explain it, you just are."

"Just like you are perfect indescribably different from all the other girls."

"Aw, Gale, you're going to make me blush," I try to say jokingly, but what he said, well... it kind of made sense to me.

"Are you ready to tell your mother and Prim that we are going to be the proud owners of a furniture store?"

"Yes, I think I am." We walk into my house, Gale holds the door open for me, because it would slam shut and hit my behind if he didn't. That needs to be fixed. Hey, I'll ask Gale! Prim must have heard the door open because she comes running in.

Without any warning, "So what happened?!"

It was loud to say the least. "Shhh, Prim, you'll wake up the entire Seam!" I whisper-shout.

"But I've been waiting _forever_!" She doesn't yell, it's more of a whine, she's usually so good, I wonder where did she pick this behavior up?

"Where's mom?" I ask, we'll get this all done in one go, I refuse to tell it another time after this, except like a really short version maybe, if I feel like bragging to the girls who still like Gale and try to annoy me at school. I'm becoming petty... Actually I've always been petty, who am I kidding?

"I'm on my way, Katniss," my mom practically sighs. That patient must have been really hard, my curiosity makes me want to ask about it, the probable reality of the situation stops me. Someone could have died in the other room. I would ask if I could stay with Gale again, but tomorrow being our first real date I want to make it special.

I start to feel bad for my mom, something that's happening more and more often, the only conclusion I can come up with is that I'm starting to forgive her. I'll never trust her fully again, I'll never rely on her for most things, but I think I'll forgive her. "Are you alright, mom?" I ask.

"Oh, I'm fine, Katniss, just a really bad flu going around. People getting fevers, and being achy, throwing up. I've just had a lot of people come in thinking it was something terribly wrong, and have had to send them right back out saying it will work itself out, and giving a few tips. Just a lot to do is all." Well the fact that no one died makes me feel a lot better.

"Oh, Prim said you had a tough patient I was worried someone died."

"Whoops, I misspoke, sorry."

"Well, maybe this will perk you up, everybody have a seat!" I say cheerfully, knowing that someone didn't die in my house today is a huge relief.

"Does this have to do with all the wood?" my mother asks.

"Well, yeah. It does, but there's a lot more to it than that. Well it turns out that the furniture store is owned by this very nice man named Richard Freeman," I start.

"I used to know the Freeman's, yes, Richard and Shirley, they were very nice, around my age now, back when I was young. They never had any kids so I never did see too much of them, how are they?"

Sometimes it's weird that I forget my mother grew up in town. "It's only Richard, now, mom. Shirley died a few months back."

I let my mom process this, she looks sad. "They had always wanted kids, but couldn't have any. They treated the town kids when they saw us very well."

"I'm sorry to break the news, mom."

"No, no, it's fine Katniss, you said this was a happy story. And I hadn't seen either of them in ages, perhaps I'll visit Richard though, if you got the job."

I put up one finger as the universal sign to wait for one minute, while I leaned close to Gale and whispered in his ear, "We can't say that we told him we wanted kids, after learning this, and lets try to keep the story where I lie down to the minimum."

Gale turns and leans into my ear, "Katniss you hardly lied, just a bit about the mayor, and we've gotten that squared out. We'll leave out the part about the kids, but that's it. You really only stretched the truth, don't worry, Catnip." He takes my hand. It's the opposite hand that I'm used to holding, I'm holding his right hand, it feels weird, but still nice.

So we tell the story from start to finish, lingering on the parts that were really good. Richard being super impressed by Gale's work even though he had just used a hunting knife. Richard liking my tracing for more complicated pieces. Then came what was really sad then exciting.

"-And he agreed that it was a nice way to ask a girl out," My mother and sister didn't know how Gale asked me out, "and he had asked his wife out a similar way. So I asked his wife's name, and he said, 'Her name was Shirley.' I was so surprised, and I asked to make sure that I had heard him right, 'Was?' I asked. And he told us how she died a few months ago from the flu that just wouldn't go away or get better. And he said that he hadn't felt like making anything anymore, and was planning on retiring soon, anyway, before his wife had got sick. And then he said something kind of weird, 'And this just proves it,' he said. And then he said, 'You can have an apprenticeship with me, boy. I'll teach you how to use all the tools, and since I have enough money for retirement I'll leave the store to you.'"

"Oh, my, goodness," Prim says, "he is so nice. I'm going to give him my other cookie."

"You still have your other cookie?" I ask.

"Yes," she says simply.

"Prim you can give him my cookie, keep yours."

"So, he's just giving you his business?" my mother asks. Funny how similar mothers can be sometimes.

"Yes, he is," Gale says.

"I told him it was simply too much to ask for. But he said, 'No, it's fate, my dear. I lost the love of my life, and two youngsters, who have just found that they are going to spend the rest of their lives together come into my shop asking for work. It's fate. I'll stay on until you get a hand on things. At the very least until you're eighteen,' he said to Gale. And I almost started crying and said we could never thank him enough. - That's why I looked so sad when I first came home, Prim. - And I hugged him and I told him how sorry I was for his loss, and it wouldn't be the same but Gale and I would try to keep him company as much as possible. And then I asked Richard where he was planning on living, because most merchants traditionally live about their shops, so I asked him if he would be living there and if Gale and I would be commuting, but he said that he would live there for a while, until Gale turned nineteen or twenty if that was okay _with us_. And I asked, _is that okay_? I said, I'd be insulted if you left us here all alone, because he had given us more than anyone had ever given us before, and I told him, of course you can live here, but then I asked where he planned on living afterwards."

"He told us that he was planning one last big project - to build a little cabin by the edge of the fence 'so I can always see the forest.' And I told him for Katniss and I both, because I knew Katniss would want to, that we would help him all we could with building it. And he says, 'Oh, no, there's no need.' And Katniss, being herself said, 'Oh, well, there's no need to give us a complete business, and help us learn how to run it. But that's what you're doing. So we'll be helping you build your cabin with everything you want in it.' And I agreed, of course. But then I told him we should get going. Because we have our first real date tomorrow." Gale looked at me and smiled, 'today was such a good day,' his eyes said.

"He was so nice, and Gale doesn't have to work in the mines, so I don't have to worry about him nearly as much, and we'll be making better money, and I already came up with a name for it - 'Hawthorne's Home-Goods'".

Prim was smiling huge, and my mother was smiling pretty big, which was like someone else splitting their face open.

"Oh, my, goodness," Prim says again, "this is so, so, so, so, so amazing!"

"I was thinking Rory could learn how to work there too," I say to Prim.

Her eyes widen and she blushes. "I, I bet he'd be really good at it," she stutters. "He's really strong."

"Oh, eleven year old love," I tease.

"Katniss!" Prim screeches, "I don't love him yet! I just like him a whole lot!"

"So you don't love him _yet_?" I joke.

Prim just huffs and crosses her arms, then sees Buttercup passing by on the floor and picks him up and holds him in between her crossed arms, which can not have been comfortable for the cat, not that I care, but the cat didn't seem to mind. If I look at him funny he hisses, but he let's Prim squeeze him to death. Go figure.

"Well, I am so happy for you both, and especially you, Gale, seeing as you'll be owning it first," my mother says.

"Well I'll be owning it together with Catnip in my mind the whole time, she'll be helping me after all."

"Yep, I'll do anything you need me to, as long as I can physically do it, Mr. Giant Genes." I joke.

"Well Miss. Perfect Genes, our first date is tomorrow, so I'll say goodnight now, so you can get a good night's sleep," Gale smiles at me.

"Okay, I'll walk you to the porch," - _Okay, let's go to the porch so my mother and sister don't see us make out goodbye._

We walked to the porch and shut the door, that would have shut itself. "Maybe your first job can be fixing our door, Gale." I smile.

"I'll do it for a kiss."

"Deal."

He leans down while I lean up and I wrap my arms around his shoulders, putting my fingers in to play with the hair at the nape of his neck and he puts his arms around me pulling me closer, eventually putting one of his big hands at the back of my neck and head holding me there, as if I would leave, and we kiss for a while. When I say a while, it really must have been a while because my mother popped open the door and cleared her throat, then walked back inside. A warning then. I blushed.

"Really, Katniss, thank you for helping me get this job. I really couldn't have done it without you. And I'm not just saying that. I had prepared myself for a miserable life of working in the mines, potentially getting hurt, but you put you foot down, which I'm glad about. You saw and found qualities in me that I didn't know I had, and I just can't thank you enough, Catnip. I love you so much. And now I can't wait for the rest of my life to happen. Starting with tomorrow on our picnic date at our rock. Meet me there at nine o'clock?"

"That sounds perfect, and I can't wait either. And sometime, Gale, it just takes someone else looking at you to find some of the good things that we can miss ourselves. You listed a whole bunch to me when you asked me out. You made me feel good about myself. I just want to try to do the same back. I love you, too, Gale, so much."

We stare into each other's eyes and it seems like the perfect romantic moment until Gale says, "So, I'll bring the food for tomorrow?" Still staring into my eyes, mind you, "Since it was my idea to have a picnic date." If this is a contest I will win it.

I keep staring lovingly into his eyes. "Yes, that sounds good. I would love a turkey sandwich. And some strawberries maybe. Just bring things you think will be good. And water of course, I suppose we could each bring our own water. And you could bring the silverware, plates, and cups, if we're having a proper romantic picnic." I say never lovingly taking my eyes off his. "I think Prim made some goat cheese, I'll bring that, and we have the blackberries at our rock. It will be a romantic feast. I don't know what else you have planed but I can't wait."

We just keep looking into each other's eyes. It's definitely a contest now, and I decide to play dirty. I slowly lick my lips. THERE! His eyes dart down to my lips, "I won!" I yell! "I wo-," I did win because he started kissing me again, but after a couple minutes I gently push him away. "Okay, lover boy, I'll be you at nine o'clock at our rock. I'll bring goat cheese and my own water. And my foraging bag too, never know when I might find some greens out there. Goodnight, Gale, have sweet dreams." I lean up and kiss him quickly and open and shut the door real fast so I had the last word. I really can't wait until tomorrow.


End file.
